Sleeves
by iwasamy
Summary: Edward has one hell of a day at the office and stumbles into the nearest bar for a drink, or two. He never expected to leave with more than a slight buzz and an aching heart. He never expected to find peace; he never expected to find him. Slash. AH.
1. Chapter 1

**Sleeves Chapter One**

EPOV

I had already tugged off my tie and shoved it into my coat pocket, and as I slouched into the only empty stool at the bar I quickly undid the top two buttons of my crisp, white shirt. I felt like I was suffocating. The smoky air was thick in my lungs and my chest felt tight. Too tight. Pushing another button out of its hole I breathed in as deeply as I dared.

"Scotch," I grunted at the guy behind the bar as he scurried past, I guess my demeanour wasn't all that welcoming tonight. Trying to relax my shoulders slightly I wiped the grimace off my face. Was he cute? Fuck, I didn't even have it in me to care. He nodded and set about making my first drink of the night. First of how many I couldn't be sure, all I knew was that I needed to forget and if four glasses of scotch and a couple of beers would help dull the aching in my heart then I was all for it.

I shrugged out of my coat and dropped it on the seat of the stool before carefully rolling up my cuffs. Twice. Only ever twice, out of habit. I had to look professional at all times, conduct myself as a good doctor would and that meant only ever rolling my cuffs twice. I took a second to wonder just how professional I had looked when I broke down in front of my patient's parents today. Fuck, where was that drink? Chancing a quick glance around me I noticed that the place was pretty busy for a Thursday night with every seat at the bar and most booths occupied. I felt eyes on me and a low hum through my body that chipped away at the pain, if only scraping the surface. I couldn't see anyone I recognised but in a dive like this I doubted I would. I shrugged it off and turned my attention back to the bar just in time to see the barman slide my drink toward me. He was a good looking guy; average height, dirty blonde hair tied at the nape of his neck and dark eyes. He smirked when he caught my eye but I ducked my head and took a long, slow sip. The last thing on my mind was taking this guy home with me tonight, although I could tell he certainly wouldn't be opposed to the idea. I couldn't shake the guilt I felt that I was here, sitting quietly in a bar while Mr. and Mrs. Robertson were spending the first night without their son, probably sitting in cold, hard, plastic chairs in the hospital somewhere, wondering how they could possibly face the world now.

I had done everything I could to help Peter, everyone had. But that didn't make my heart feel like it had shattered into a million razor sharp pieces any less. It didn't help me when I closed my eyes and all I could see were his parents devastated faces, or when I could feel Mrs. Robertson's nails digging into my forearm as she crumpled to the floor with sobs racking her tiny body.

As I took another long sip of my drink I savoured the burn in my throat and the sick feeling as the amber liquid landed in my empty stomach. I had purged all of its contents on the locker room floor after my meltdown in front of Peter's parents. So professional.

I loved my job, I really did, but fuck if I didn't hurt when it turned out this way. It fucking broke my heart to think about the families left behind after the loss of their children, or parents or lovers. I think that's part of the reason I was still single, if I'm honest with myself. No one to leave behind if something were to happen to me, no one to get sick or hurt and leave me, broken and alone. It was easier this way. I would be just fine on my own.

"Can I get you another?" a low voice asked. I looked up to find the barman looking at me with a small smile playing at his lips. He winked at me and nodded towards my now empty glass. If it was any other night I might have been tempted to flirt back a little, tell him exactly what he could get me. But tonight it made me shudder to think about it.

"Thanks," I replied, not meeting his eyes for longer than necessary.

He set a new glass in front of me and cleared his throat. "Listen, I get off in half an hour." My shoulders tensed and I stared hard at the grain on the bar in front of me. Obviously not sensing my awkwardness he went on. I cringed; this was the last thing I needed to deal with tonight. "How about -"

"Hey. Sorry I'm late baby." The barman was cut off by the sound of a husky voice, low and deep, that went straight to my dick. Fucking hell. I was startled to feel a light kiss being pressed to my temple and was overcome with the most delicious fucking scent I'd ever smelled as the owner of the voice leaned over me. My skin tingled where his lips had been and I felt a loss immediately as he pulled away. He ducked his head slightly so he could look at my face more easily and I found myself staring into the most beautiful ocean blue eyes. They gave me a pleading look and he nodded towards a booth in the corner, asking me with his eyes if I'd follow him. I was in a fucking trance, I'd follow him anywhere.

I nodded my head slowly and stood up on shaky legs to make my way after him. When I got my bearings I looked up to see this guy properly. Fuck. Me. He was stunning. At least as tall as my 6'2 frame but not quite as lanky. In fact, under the white t-shirt stretching tightly across his broad chest and shoulders he looked lightly muscled. His waist was narrow and his jeans looked fucking incredible stretched over his ass. I might have actually drooled a bit. As I got closer I could just make out the shadows of some sort of tribal art covering his back. He was inked. My dick felt heavy and achy, throbbing in my pants. No one had ever affected me like this before. He had me hard with a kiss to my fucking forehead. I was in deep shit. He led me over to the booth and sat down, leaving enough room for me should I choose to sit next to him with my back against the wall. I did.

"I'm sorry man. You just seemed pretty uncomfortable there, thought you could use an out." He laughed softly and the sound spread waves of warmth through me. "That was presumptuous of me, I don't even know if you're..." He cut himself off and left the question hanging heavily in the air.

"I am." I answered quickly. Too quickly? I don't know shit any more. He smirked at me and seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief. "I mean, uh, thanks." This guy had rendered me speechless. Fucking ridiculous.

He nodded in return. "I'll leave you to yourself if you like? You look like you've got something on your mind tonight."

"No. No, stay." All at once the reason that I was sitting here at all came rushing back to me and the guilt out weighed this sexy stranger's warmth. I sunk lower in my seat and closed my eyes against the memories of the day. I didn't deserve to be having a good time; I should be mourning the loss of my patient.

"Let it go man." The voice from my right was laced with concern. "Whatever it is that's got you all tied up in knots like that. Let it go."

I breathed a heavy sigh and tried to do just that. This man's presence alone was enough to calm me. He somehow knew that I was struggling with something and put me at ease without even knowing me. Or my demons. I felt lighter than I should have at that moment, sitting with a complete stranger, wanting to share my dreams and fears with this man, but it felt right.

"Jasper." The man turned his body to face me and reached out his hand to shake mine. I felt a surge of electricity through my body as his large, warm hand touched my own. His skin was rough, with callouses on his fingers. He must work with his hands. A mechanic? A sculptor? He loosened his grip and my body felt the loss as instantly and as extremely as before. The dull throb in my hand and arm a reminder of his touch. I was fucking captivated.

"Edward. Edward Cullen." I let myself smile at him and his returning smile was blinding. He settled back into his seat and picked up his beer bottle, taking a long pull before setting it down. I expected him to say something else. To ask me why I was empty and aching. He never did. He sat quietly and left me to my thoughts.

I saw him bite back a laugh as the barman stalked past us but he didn't otherwise engage me. I was thankful. I didn't know if I had the ability to string coherent thoughts together around him, let alone commit to conversation.

I ordered us both a beer as he finished his own, not quite so intent on drinking my way into oblivion tonight. As the night wore on and we each nursed our drinks I caught him glancing my way from under his lashes every so often. A few times I swear I could see him move toward me out of the corner of my eye, as if to say something then softly shake his head or sigh under his breath and sit back into his seat.

It was in these quiet moments that I chanced a look at him, noticing something different and more alluring every time; the strong line of his jaw, the band of ink peeking out from under the sleeve wrapped around his strong bicep, the different shades of gold in his hair which was curling softly to his chin, the fucking barbell in each of his nipples that I could just make out under the strain of his shirt. My dick was aching with need. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, pulling at the label of my beer bottle.

The bar began winding down after midnight and my cock was demanding that I either get the fuck out of there or take a much overdue bathroom break to relieve a little tension; my balls were fucking throbbing. I stood to make my move, making sure to keep my back to Jasper, unsure of how to walk away from him without parading my straining erection around the place. Fucking tight jeans; my zipper was digging into me uncomfortably and I had to get out of them one way or another. Before I could take two steps I felt a strong hand on my forearm. Jasper hadn't spoken to me in hours and yet it felt like the most natural thing in the world when he ran his hand down to grasp my own.

He squeezed my fingers softly and tugged me to follow him out of the door. "Come on."

I just nodded dumbly, grabbed my coat and staggered behind him. The bitter, winter air slammed into me and helped clear my mind from the haze of lust clouding me. Whether because of the lack of smoke now in my lungs or the man guiding me along the sidewalk, my hand still firmly grasped within his, our arms brushing with every step and his thumb rubbing smoothing circles in my palm, I felt calmer than I had all day. Happier. More alive.

Alive. Was that what I'd been missing? I spent my days and nights fighting to save my patients; to give them another chance at life, another day to embrace, another chance to love and yet could I honestly say that I lived my own life? I decided then and there that I wouldn't let my job take over my life any more. I would be the best fucking doctor I could be but outside of those cold, sterile walls I would be a man first. I would do it for myself; for my future. For Jasper? Where the fuck had that come from?

Before I could freak myself out too much I was distracted by Jasper leading me up a set of cold, concrete stairs. We had only walked a few blocks from the bar but apparently we had reached our destination. Jasper's building was old and in desperate need of a little TLC. The once red paint of his door on the second floor was cracked and peeling and the strip light in the stairwell was blinking and hissing menacingly. He had the good grace to look a little bashful as he pulled me through the door. That blush. So fucking cute.

I stepped through the doorway without even an ounce of hesitation. I was living my life. And I was starting tonight. Jasper seemed to be in the same mind set as I was; the second I heard the door close behind me I was being pushed up against it. Jasper let his full weight fall against me with a light grunt and it couldn't have been more perfect. I could feel the pebbles of his nipples and his barbells flush against my chest as he placed a kiss against my jaw.

**Chapter two coming soon.**

**Massive thanks to my wonderful beta, harrytwifan. Your support and guidance have been incredible. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sleeves Chapter Two**

EPOV

"Fuck. Jasper," I whispered hoarsely as he pushed against me. He felt strong and hard and so very comfortable. My voice didn't sound my own, it was husky and deep, showing Jasper just how much he affected me. I brought my hands up to cup his jaw and placed a slow kiss against the corner of his mouth. He sighed and tilted his head slightly, grazing my lips as he found mine. That same electricity from the bar surged through my whole body, causing me to rock my hips into his. I could feel his hard cock against my hip and the thought that he was half as turned on as I was caused me to react with fervor. I pushed my mouth against his, letting my lips cover his full, soft ones. My tongue lightly licked at his bottom lip before I sucked it into my mouth.

As he gasped and wove one hand into my hair I let my own drop from his jaw to feel the skin under his shirt at the small of his back, trying to pull him closer. His flesh seemed to burn my palms, causing an ache to grow all over my body. He opened his mouth to me willingly and his tongue danced against my own, insistent and needy, pushing and rolling, tasting me. Fuck, I couldn't get enough of him; his body against mine, rocking rhythmically; his fingers in my hair, tugging gently and causing me to fucking arch into him with the pleasure and pain of it all, his breathy moans and gasps, the fucking fantastic way he smells, earthy and sweet and enough to make me lose my mind.

I think I might have fucking moaned when he pulled away from me slightly. His eyes sparkled and a sexy smirk appeared on his face. Yeah, I definitely moaned. I was about to protest when he silenced me by raising his arms over his head to hook the back of his shirt. He pulled it off slowly, revealing to my hungry eyes first his fucking glorious abs, then his hard chest and, holyfuck, his hardware. His nipples flashed with silver barbells, lying horizontally through each bud. My dick twitched and I could sense Jasper watching me closely to gauge my reaction. He wouldn't be disappointed.

Ducking my head I quickly took one nipple in my mouth as my fingers dutifully played with the other. I flicked my tongue over his flesh feeling his nipple harden further against it. When I closed my mouth over it and sucked gently I felt more than heard Jasper give a low growl. Fucking hell. His hands wove more tightly in my hair, keeping me pinned in place. It wasn't as if I was going anywhere. I tugged on the bar with my teeth, twisting it slightly and trying to cause as many new sensations as I could. The deep moan I heard certainly reassured me that I was on the right track. He was so responsive to me, I loved every reaction I was getting. This was living.

I swapped sides and showed some attention to his other nipple, causing him to cry out. Through his moans and little grunts and gasps I thought I heard a breathy sigh of my name. Before I could ponder it for too long I was being pulled upward as Jasper found my mouth and smashed his soft lips into mine.

He tasted fucking delicious. Warmth and sweetness and all man; pure Jasper. It was a heady combination. I couldn't find it in me to pull away so I slipped my hand between us to continue tugging gently on his nipple as I shamelessly ground my dick into his hip. He rolled his pelvis against me and a shot of pure lust pulsed through my veins. I had never been this turned on before. This was something new altogether. Sure, I'd taken guys home and fucked them. A couple of girls too if I'm honest. But Jasper, he had me tied in knots and I was still fucking fully clothed. A bundle of nerves hit me when I thought of taking my clothes off. What would he think?

Rather than psyche myself out I decided to just go for it and pushed gently on Jaspers chest to give myself a little room. I took a deep breath and looked around his apartment. It was a fucking mess. The entranceway we we're standing in was painted a deep red and had pieces of wood and different sized boxes lining the walls. I tentatively placed my palm in Jaspers and motioned by a tilt of my head for him to lead the way. He actually looked a little put out by my stopping our make out session but gathered himself quickly and began to pull me through the hall and into his living room. He headed straight for the shabby brown leather couch pushed off to the far side of the room, turning to look back into my eyes every few seconds. I can't figure out how he made it to the couch without tripping, his living room was so dark; deep brown walls and heavy curtains over the window told me that even in broad daylight this room would be dull. It wasn't an oppressive dark though, it felt safe. When he leaned over to snap on a lamp on the side table the room was basked in a warm glow of yellow light. Homey.

He moved to push me down to the couch but I needed to get this over with.

"Wait." His eyebrows shot up but he arranged himself onto the sofa, long legs stretched out before him.

I took a deep breath and began to unbutton my shirt. I let out a breathy laugh as his grin widened at my intent. My fingers shaking, I pulled my bottom button from its loop and began working upwards revealing inch after inch of pale skin. Then inch after inch of black line. Thick black bands. Black ink.

I'd had numerous different reactions to my tattoo; some guys were turned on by it, some were turned off. My last sexual encounter left feeling like shit after the dick asked me to keep my shirt on. It looked pretty hardcore, with black ink banding around the entire left side of my torso, onto my chest and across my stomach and covering my whole back. The tribal shapes and lines left pale skin peeking through but it certainly wasn't something you could ignore. My right shoulder and chest were covered by the branches of a thick tree, continuing down to cover my arm in its 3/4 sleeve. My pain was permanently etched onto my skin, lest I forget. My left arm was covered in everything I had ever lost; butterflies, music notes and cursive lettering tangled round my arm to my elbow.

I wasn't ashamed of my ink. It looked fucking amazing. I had the body to pull it off and loved how clean cut I looked with a shirt on; it was my secret. Everything I had chosen to represent my life, my past, was so personal that I hated the initial act of showing anyone else that part of me. Those first few seconds when I showed myself and their eyes would take everything in trying desperately to read the meaning behind my art made my skin itch to be covered up. Made the sick and empty feeling of the pains of my loss resurface.

Looking towards Jasper I saw that he was doing just that, taking in everything; his eyes roaming over my body as I shrugged the shirt from my shoulders. He looked...fuck, he looked hungry. He liked it. His beautiful blue eyes weren't calculating, trying to figure me out. They were accepting. Maybe because he had his own ink, his own secrets, he understood.

"Edward," he sighed gently. I took a few paces forward so that I could stand before him. "Turn around."

I did so, slowly and more than a little nervously, wondering what his reaction to the extent of the piece would be. As I turned around I heard him gasp. I heard the leather of the old couch squeak and felt his body heat behind me. The faintest touch from his finger tip as he traced the lines over my spine sent fire flooding through me. I let him search, breathing deeply and allowing him time to trace the lines to my ribs, to find whatever he was looking for.

As his fingertips rounded my body and settled on my chest, tracing tiny circles around my nipple, I felt the hot skin of his chest against my back. Fuck, his skin against my own felt unbelievable. His right hand grasped my hip as I simultaneously felt his tongue on the side of my neck, nipping just below my ear and his dick grind into my ass. I hummed in appreciation as he continued to lick and suck at the skin below my ear. He nipped at my earlobe before leaning further into me to whisper.

"I think you were made for me."

It was enough to have me take in a shaky breath and fucking melt into him. He felt this connection too, whatever the fuck it was. Before I could even attempt a reply he had his hand slipping from my hip to palm my cock through the fabric of my slacks. I groaned embarrassingly loud and brought my hands forward to fumble with the buckle of my belt and unzip my pants. They pooled around my ankles and I toed off my shoes to allow myself room to kick them off. Jasper helped me lower my boxer briefs and as I lifted my feet out of them and slid them across the floor to my slacks he gripped my aching dick firmly in his hand and began to pump.

It was almost too much, feeling him firmly pumping up and down my length, stopping to gather the precum at the tip every few strokes and spread the moisture over me. I could feel him breathing deeply and rolling his hips so fucking seductively against my ass. It took everything I had to turn around and away from the heat of his chest but as our bodies aligned face to face I was well rewarded for my efforts.

His lips were on mine instantly and his teeth began biting gently at my bottom lip before his tongue would sweep along and sooth the tiny ache. Fucking perfection. He pulled me close with his hands on my ass, kneading and squeezing as our chests touched and the cold metal of his piercings sent a shock through my body. I pulled away from his beautiful attack on my mouth to pull in huge mouthfuls of air and as soon as I'd caught my breath, started licking and sucking his neck. Over his thrumming pulse point and down to the hollow of his throat. He tasted like fucking heaven; sweaty and musky. God.

Following the line across to his collar bone and shoulder, nipping gently as I went, I scraped my teeth across his skin then soothed the sting with my lips and tongue. My hands fell from his waist to the top of his jeans, enjoying the soft spattering of fine hair leading from his navel. After fumbling with the button for a second I was victorious, popping it out of its hole and moving onto the next. Buttons two and three were easy and I pushed his jeans passed his hips to find that he had nothing on underneath. I looked up into his eyes to find them dancing with amusement. And lust. I wondered briefly if mine looked the same to him before I felt him squeeze my ass roughly. I pushed my hand into his now loose jeans and felt hot, hard flesh, fucking straining and dripping with precum. My mouth was watering at the thought. I sucked roughly on his bottom lip and felt his tongue sneak out to tease my top lip. My hand wrapped firmly around the base of his cock and pumped slowly upward, getting a feel for his length. As my palm neared the head of his cock I was confused to feel something cold and hard against my hand. Fucking hell. I'm not lucky enough for this to be real. Is that? Is he fucking pierced?

I gasped quietly and pulled away from his mouth to lean my head against his strong shoulder and gaze down at my hand around his hard dick. I nudged his jeans down further with my other hand until they rested across his thighs.

"Jesus fucking Christ," I breathed. That was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. The head of his dick was throbbing and pulsing and at either side of his head sat the two end balls of the barbell sitting through his cock. Using my free hand I twirled one ball and give an experimental tug. The 'fuck' I heard coming from above me was enough to spur me on. I squeezed his cock firmly before moving to settle on my knees in front of him.

"Yeah, I think you might be fucking made for me too."

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and put my wee story on alert. It means the absolute world to me, I can't thank you enough. **

**Thanks again to my fantastic beta, harrytwifan. Your encouragement with this story has been amazing. Thank you.**

**Jasper's piercing is called an Ampallang if you want to check it out before the next chapter. There is a link to a pic of it and one of what I kind of imagine Edward's tattoo looks like on my profile. **

**Please review and let me know what works, what doesn't, what you like, what you hate. This is my first time writing and I can tell its going to be a massive learning curve so any pointers would be more than welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sleeves Chapter Three**

EPOV

As I felt the grain of the hardwood floor beneath me I raised my hands to the back of Jasper's strong thighs. I needed the balance as my head swam with images of his long, hard dick fucking my mouth, his piercing hitting my throat and how he might taste when he came. I shook my head slightly to at least attempt to regain some composure before snaking my tongue out to swipe over his slit, his precum salty and manly and just fucking delicious as I wrapped my lips around his head.

My lips met the cold, heavy balls of his piercing and I couldn't contain the moan that built deep in my chest. My own dick was fucking aching; straining and fucking weeping to be touched. I wrapped my tongue around his head, ignoring my own need for the moment, and grazed each of the steel balls as I swirled it around his tip. I lowered my mouth slowly, hollowing my cheeks as I pulled back up before he hit the back of my throat. I increased the speed a little bit on my next descent and increased the pressure of my tongue swiping along the bottom of his shaft. Fuck, even his soft, warm skin tasted delicious.

Jasper wound his fingers lightly into my hair, taking control of my speed and guiding me gently to move just the way he liked. He started rolling his hips slightly, moving his dick in and out of my mouth as I sucked and licked everything within my reach.

"Holy fuck Edward. Your mouth feels incredible." Jasper moaned and gasped as I moved one hand to the base of his cock to pump him in time with his shallow thrusts. I slowly pulled my other hand round to cup his balls, feeling them heavy in my palm. Rolling them softly in my fingers I gave a light tug as I pulled Jasper more deeply into my mouth. His whole body fucking rumbled with the growl that passed through his clenched teeth and I couldn't remember a single fucking time that I'd been this turned on.

The pressure in my dick was becoming too much and I lowered both hands to my crotch; one pumping my dick roughly, feeling myself harder than I had ever been, the other tugging gently on my balls. Fuck. With my hands free from his cock, Jasper took control completely. His fingers tightened against my scalp and he thrust more deeply into my mouth. When he hit the back of my throat I tightened the grip I had on myself and moaned around his length, swallowing around him. Jesus fucking Christ, he felt amazing so deep in my throat. I guess Jasper took my groan as a fucking positive sign and began fucking my mouth with abandon, his head and the cool, heavy metal of his barbell moving into my throat every few thrusts. I continued to pump my dick with one hand while the other ran from his calf along the back of his muscular leg until it landed on his firm ass, touching and squeezing gently. I was fucking loving the feel of the muscles in his ass and legs clenching rhythmically as he pumped his hips towards me.

I took the chance to look up as I held my head still and swirled my tongue along Jaspers length as he moved in and out of my mouth. I swear I nearly fucking lost it when I saw him with his head thrown back and the strong muscles of his jaw clenched tightly. His chest and brow were beginning to sweat and a light sheen could be seen covering his upper body, sticking his golden curls to his neck and face. I wanted to taste the sweat dripping down his chest and moaned at the thought.

His eyes flashed to mine and the look of pure lust clouding the blue steel was enough to have me fucking my fist with rapid, jerky movements and moaning at the sight above me.

"Edward I want you so fucking bad. I need to come inside you, baby," Jasper panted between thrusts into my mouth. He slowed his pace then and moved his body away from mine only to kneel before me and wrap his fingers over mine on my length. He leaned his face into mine and captured my lips with his, kissing me deeply and helping me stroke myself furiously. "Come for me Edward. Let me see you lose control."

I felt my stomach coil and my balls start to tingle and I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Jasper moved his lips to my throat and dragged his tongue along and up to my ear. His hand left mine and both of his palms rested on my thighs as I swiped my thumb over the head of my cock, feeling the moisture gathered there dripping onto my fingers.

"I need to feel all of you, baby. Can you feel it too? You've consumed me, Edward." Jasper whispered huskily into my ear. To know he felt it too both delighted and scared the shit out of me. What was this thing between us? I didn't have time to ponder it before I heard the words that would send me fucking flying over the edge. "I can't wait to feel you wrapped around me; I'm fucking aching for you."

He squeezed his hands on my legs and leaned in to nip at my earlobe, never taking his eyes off of my hand pumping along my hard dick. The sensations coupled with the image now in my head of Jasper filling me, stretching me and fucking me had me releasing over my stomach and melting into Jaspers warm chest as he panted above me. I clenched my eyes and took a few deep, steadying breaths before opening them to see Jasper staring at me longingly. His lust filled gaze sending aftershocks of my orgasm ripping through me. I shuddered.

Jasper grabbed a t-shirt hanging over the arm of the couch and gently wiped my stomach before helping me to my feet. My legs were shaky and I leaned heavily on his side as he led me out of the living room. We passed a small kitchenette and an even smaller bathroom as we stumbled down the narrow hallway. Jasper paused to push open the last door of the short hallway and pulled me in behind him. The room was similar to the others I'd seen. It was painted in a dark, deep navy. And it was a fucking mess. Jasper was obviously an artist and his bedroom must have doubled as his studio; easels were propped up against walls and stacked four and five deep against each other. Every available surface was overtaken by paint brushes, tins, rags and leafs of paper.

Jasper chuckled slightly as he caught me appraising his room. "Yeah, starving artist," he shrugged, looking a little bashful at his admittance. So fucking cute.

I nodded and continued to look around me until I felt his warm palm in my own, his rough fingers a testament to his work. "Come on," he whispered and I was reminded of the blind faith I'd placed in him as he uttered the same words at the bar and led me out. Was it only just a matter of hours since we met? A part of me felt like I'd known Jasper forever. My heart stuttered at the thought.

Jasper pulled me over to his bed - a low dark wooden frame holding appeared to be a comfy mattress. It was scattered with pillows and a soft navy comforter. He pushed me until the backs of my knees hit the bed and I lowered myself to sit on the edge. This brought me face to face with his straining erection and I was reminded of the fact that he had yet to get some release. My dick twitched back to life at the thought of helping him out and earned an appraising raised eyebrow from Jasper.

He moved to crawl over me and I shifted back onto my elbows to wriggle up towards the headboard and allow him more room. He looked like a lion stalking it's prey as he moved up my body, settling between my legs and lowering his head to take my nipple in his mouth. Granted I had no piercings to add to the sensations but that shit felt fucking amazing and I felt my cock lengthen and harden further between our bodies.

I could feel Jaspers hard on against my thigh as he wrapped his tongue around my hardening bud and pulled it into his mouth. I moaned out as he bit down gently and wrapped his strong hands around my hips to hold me still. He pulled his body away from mine and rolled to his side to open the drawer of his bedside table and pull out a condom and a small bottle of lube.

I felt a small surge of nerves as he placed the condom beside him before rolling back onto me and snapping open the cap on the lube. I didn't bottom very often, especially not with one night stands. A sharp pang of sadness – or was that feeling panic? - surged through me as I thought of Jasper as a one night thing. This had to be more than that, right? I closed my eyes to expel the thoughts, only one thing on my mind now.

I preferred to stay in control and very rarely let my guard down enough to allow someone to fuck me. It made me feel vulnerable and I wasn't always comfortable with that. But with Jasper? I felt safe. I wanted him to take control of me and I wanted him to be inside of me. I opened my eyes to see him gazing intently at me, a soft expression on his face.

"Hey, where'd you go there?" he asked softly. "Are you sure about this? I need you to want this." His voice quietened as he trailed off, looking unsure and pretty damn vulnerable himself.

His concern was enough to make me sure I was making the right decision here. "Of course I want this." I said just as quietly. "I want you."

His eyes flashed with something powerful, some emotion he tried to hide as soon as it surfaced. He crashed his mouth into mine and I opened to him immediately. Our tongues danced, stroking against each other and running over lips and teeth.

I bit down gently on his lower lip when I felt his warm fingers, slick and ready, massaging between the crack of my ass. It'd been a long time for me and I was reminded of just how good it could be when done properly. Jasper quite obviously knew what he was doing as he pushed one finger slowly inside of me.

My gasp turned into a groan as he pulled it almost all of the way out before plunging it deeply back inside me. I was lost in the fucking glorious sensations as he added a second finger and pushed them deep inside to hit the spot that made me fucking crazy. He continued to stretch me as he kissed and nipped along my neck and throat, moaning when he felt my muscles contract around his fingers and hissing when I started to rock my hips backwards into his hand.

He pushed a third finger inside me and it was almost too fucking much. I shuddered and tensed at the unbelievable feeling of fullness. I needed his dick inside me or I was going to come again before we even got started.

"More Jasper," I gasped out. "Fuck me. Please"

I certainly didn't have to ask him twice as he pulled his fingers out of me to roll the condom down his length. I watched, enraptured as he coated himself with more lube before moving to his knees and placing his tip at my entrance. He looked me straight in the eye as he cautiously pushed inside of me, stilling only when his hips were flush with my ass.

The feeling was better than anything I had ever experienced before. Fucking exquisite. I felt so full, the added feeling of his piercing filling me even more and rubbing against me fucking deliciously. The slight burn of the intrusion after so much time only added to the sensations overtaking me. Jasper pulled almost all the way out before thrusting his hips and pushing into me quickly. We moaned together and panted through the pleasure as we built a rhythm, Jasper fucking me hard and fast as I pumped my hips back into him.

The sounds of skin clapping and gasps and grunts of pleasure filled the air and I reached up to tug him down onto me, chest to chest. I felt so much closer to him and the angle he reached inside of me changed infinitesimally as he moved. As I leaned up to capture his lips with my own he moaned into my mouth.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. Jasper was hitting my prostate with every thrust of his hips and I couldn't contain the sounds that escaped my throat. His rhythm was faltering, his thrusts becoming erratic and I could tell Jasper was close too. He pulled up slightly, leaning his full weight on his arm at the side of my shoulder while his other hand moved to grip me between our bodies.

He only had to pump me twice in time with his dick entering me and I came all over our chests. Harder than I can ever remember. The muscles in my ass clenched rhythmically in time with the streams of my orgasm spilling from my body and Jasper was pulled over the edge with me. He gave a growl and thrust his hips against me roughly, his dick slamming into me with such perfect force and precision before he stilled and came, calling my name between moans.

Jasper let himself fall onto my chest, his weight pinning me deliciously beneath him as we basked in the afterglow of our pleasure. Tremors were still ripping through me as aftershocks of my orgasm came again and again. When we caught our breaths Jasper rolled to his side then settled on his back next to me, chest glistening with sweat and my cum. He stood up and walked out of the room, removing the condom as he moved towards his bathroom. I closed my eyes and let the peace wash over me, suddenly feeling exhausted from my long day.

I thought back to the 18 hour shift at the hospital before meeting Jasper at the bar and was assaulted with flashes of Peter's lifeless body and his parent's dead eyes as I broke down, telling them that their son, their fucking six year old son, hadn't made it this time.

I squeezed my eyes more tightly and tried desperately to purge the images from my mind. Jasper had taken away the pain, the guilt, for a little while; I could see that now. I didn't want to go home to my empty apartment and be completely alone with no distraction from the pain. I wanted to stay here. With Jasper. I wanted Jasper. Fuck.

I was startled to feel a warm, damp wash cloth being pressed to my stomach and run over my soft dick with such tenderness I could have fucking wept. I opened my eyes to watch Jasper above me cleaning me off with the most delicate of touches. He pressed the cloth gently to my entrance and cleaned me of the lube we had used, taking care to move slowly and softly against my tender skin.

Would he ask me to leave now? I looked up to find his cerulean eyes looking down into my own. They held such tenderness and affection that I knew would be reflected back at him tenfold. I really fucking hoped he'd ask me to stay with him. He dropped the wash cloth to the floor at the side of the bed and pulled back the comforter, gesturing for me to get under. I didn't realise I'd been holding my breath until the air left my mouth in a gust. I moved to get under the duvet and watched as he slid in beside me, curling his body around mine as I moved to my side and pulled his arms across my chest.

The heat of his body against mine, my back to his chest, lulled me and made me feel safe. I felt a light kiss being placed against my shoulder and I melted back into him, pulling his arms more tightly around me and linking my fingers through his. He sighed contentedly and began breathing deeply against the skin of my neck. I felt at home here, with this stranger wrapped around me and as I drifted off to sleep, feeling a peace settle over me that I hadn't felt in twenty years, the day's memories felt like distant ghosts and the pain of my past was, for once, only a dull ache in my heart.

**Again, I can't thank you enough for your reviews. They absolutely make my day. And thanks to everyone who has added Sleeves to story alert or to their favourites lists, it means the world to me.**

**Much love to harrytwifan, my wonderful beta. Thank you so much for all of your hard work! **

**Please review and let me know what you thought. Lemons are pretty terrifying to post. Constructive criticism is very much welcome. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sleeves Chapter Four**

EPOV

I awoke suddenly to a room that was as unfamiliar as it was dark and a voice whispering soothingly in my ear. The remnants of a terrifying dream were still clinging heavily to the edges of my awareness. I couldn't catch my breath; painful sobs were racking my body and a panic was settling over me as I tried to place myself and why I couldn't see straight for the tears pouring in torrents from my eyes.

"Edward, baby. It's OK. You're OK," the voice continued to whisper to me as strong arms held tightly around my shoulders.

Jasper. I felt my fear ebb ever so slightly at the knowledge that it was him holding me closely and uttering soothing words in my ear. I struggled to breathe through the sobs that left my chest heaving and my head aching. I remembered the dream that ripped me from my sleep and immediately wished I hadn't.

Dead eyes staring at me from the operating table. Another life I couldn't save. Another family I couldn't help. Only this time it wasn't my own. I felt like I was drowning in the guilt and pain of it all. Losing Peter yesterday. Losing everything. My whole frame shook with agonizing sobs as Jasper held me closely and let me cry into his naked chest.

"Shh, baby. You're OK." Jasper's voice, laced with concern and confusion, murmured close to my ear and his large hand moved in slow circles over my back. "Please, Edward, what can I do? You're scaring me baby. What's wrong?"

I could only shake my head and weep further as his kind words washed over me. In the darkness of night, with no light to chase away my ghosts and nobody to guide me, I truly felt that the pain would consume me. I didn't deserve his kindness. I didn't deserve to be here in his arms when so many people weren't here at all. Because of me?

"I'm sorry," I whispered into the warm, salty skin of his neck. "I - I can't -" I couldn't even breathe to tell him that I couldn't explain without succumbing to the pain, the darkness. I couldn't put into words how terrified and alone I felt.

Loosening the clutch I didn't realise I'd had on his waist and forearm I made to move from under the soft sheets of his bed. But before I could pull away Jasper was laying back, his shoulders supported by the headboard and pillows, and pulling me on top of him. I shuddered through the sobs still ripping through my body and allowed myself to settle into his side and against his strong chest. My tears were soaking his skin but he simply tightened his grip on me with one arm around my side and pushed the hair away from my forehead with the other. The simple act of tenderness had me embracing him all the more securely and desperately trying to get a fucking reign on my emotions. Talk about feeling vulnerable. But with Jasper I didn't feel vulnerable. He made it feel okay to be weak sometimes.

Jasper seemed to sense that I couldn't talk about what was haunting me, so rather than ask questions that I wouldn't be able to answer yet, he spoke to me in calming tones as he ran his fingers through my hair. I melted into him and wondered how he knew exactly what I needed.

"My name is Jasper Francis Whitlock. I'm twenty-seven years old," he began. "Born and raised in Blessing, Texas. Population 891." I could hear the mirth in his voice as he spoke about his home town. My sobs began to lessen and I took in shuddering breaths as I listened to him speak.

"I left home when I was eighteen. My father ran out on our family the day before my seventeenth birthday and left my momma with two boys to raise. My brother Benjamin was ten years old at the time. We struggled through; my grades slipped and I barely graduated from high school. All I'd ever wanted to do was become an artist and sell my work but I couldn't even concentrate on my drawing and painting after he left. So any dreams I'd had of attending art school were out. It became pretty clear pretty fast that Momma was struggling to make ends meet as my brother wore his shoes down to the fucking sole and we all began to lose a little more weight than was healthy. As the man of the house I knew it was my responsibility to step up to the plate and support her. I got a few part time jobs during my senior year but I was barely making enough to support myself, never mind a family of three." He paused then, sighing heavily at the memory, I assumed, and chanced a quick glance down at me, pressing a soft kiss to my clammy forehead before continuing on. My tears had finally fucking stopped and I rested my heavy head on his chest, the rhythmic beating of his heart and the rise and fall of his lungs beneath the surface lulling me more every second, causing my trembling to dissipate some. The rumble of his voice in his chest had me settling above him and I rubbed tiny circles on his hip and his side in thanks for his patience.

"As soon as I finished high school I packed up and headed here to the city with some kind of ridiculous dream of becoming an artist and supporting Momma and Ben with sales of my work. But as you can probably guess, no one is looking to buy the art of a poor, lonely fucking cowboy. I never garnered any interest in my work and had to go back to doing two or three jobs to cover my living expenses here and send any spare cash I got home." He shook his head slightly. I wondered why he didn't move home and work from there to cut costs but before I had to ask he continued on himself.

"I was making more cash here for my family than I ever did in Blessing, even with my own rent and shit to cover, so going home wasn't really an option. I kept painting in every free second I had in the hopes that some day someone would show an interest. I never had spare money to go out drinking or buy myself things but I used every cent I could get my hands on to buy supplies. Y'know, just in case." He paused and shook his head softly; I wondered if he would show me his work some day. I bet it was beautiful.

"Ben moved out of the house a couple of years ago. He got a full scholarship to the University of Houston, so he's only a couple of hours away from Ma if she needs him. I'm so proud of him, of what he's achieved with everything he's had to deal with. His own father fucking walking out when he was 10 years old and his brother abandoning him a year later." His voice had changed from quiet pride at his brother's success to a sharp hatred at himself and his actions.

I couldn't let him think that about himself. He couldn't see himself clearly at all. Pushing myself up from his chest, my muscles aching from the tension that had only moments before been coiling within me I gazed into his fucking beautiful eyes, so many emotions running through them; guilt, despair, concern, adoration, love?

"Jasper, what you've done for your family is commendable." I urged him to hear me, to believe what I was saying. I faced him straight on and took both of his hands in mine. He ducked his head and focused his eyes on a point behind my left shoulder. "You didn't abandon them and I don't believe for one second that either your mom or your brother would ever think that. You've strived to provide the best for them for almost ten years. That's amazing."

I lifted his chin with my fingers and caught his eyes with my own. I think he got it; he could see the sense behind my words.

"Thank you," he breathed.

He leaned in to capture my lips with his own and placed a soft kiss against them. I opened my mouth to him and could taste his unique flavor mixed with the salt of my tears. Sighing into his mouth I moved to deepen the kiss, running my tongue slowly along his full bottom lip. Memories of Jasper holding himself above me, moving within me, flashed behind my eyes. He let his tongue peek out of his mouth and move slowly and so fucking sensuously against my own. I loosened my grip on his hands and ran them up his arms and to the piercings adorning his chest. He gasped as I circled one with my fingertip and allowed my other hand to continue up to weave into his soft, wild hair.

His own hands slid to my hips encouraging me closer to him, pulling me into his lap as the sheet covering us fell away. I rolled my hips against his and felt his growing erection sliding against my own, his hot flesh searing into mine and clouding my head with lust. His hands held me still as his sharp breaths evened out. Chuckling softly he pushed me further from his pelvis so I was sitting on his thighs.

"Wait. I thought I was supposed to be comforting you? How did you turn that around on me?"

I grinned sheepishly and moved off of him to settle back against the headboard, linking my fingers through his as he followed suit.

"I owe you an explanation Jasper," I said quietly, the tension of the evening coming back to me as my dick softened at the thought of things to come, things that needed to be said.

"Yeah, I think you do." Jasper looked me in the eye as he spoke. "But let me finish."

I nodded my assent and squeezed his fingers lightly in what I hoped was a gesture of reassurance. I knew now that nothing Jasper could say would push me away. I could only hope he might feel the same when it came to my story. I didn't want to fool myself into believing he wouldn't care, though I had to be realistic. So I simply closed my eyes and enjoyed the moments of peace we still had; the soft timbre of his voice as he continued his story, the gentle pulse of his fingers around mine as he ran his thumb over my knuckles.

"I spent years living only for them, working only for them and surviving only to help their lives get easier. Now that my brother is off living his own life it's really only Momma that I need to worry about. So for the past few months I've taken my life back. I've only been working one job, at the bar we met in last night; I was just leaving at the end of my shift as I saw James speaking to you. That guy's trouble and whether you were gay or not I knew I couldn't leave you there to find out on your own. I can't figure it out but I felt protective of you the second I saw you, I felt this connection." His cheeks lit up in a beautiful pink blush as he murmured his story quietly. I didn't want to interrupt him to say it was the same for me so I just squeezed his fingers gently and encouraged him to go on. "I work there five nights a week and spend every other spare second I have on my art. I bought piles of new supplies and decided to really use the time I had here to make something of myself. I'm just trying to find my way out here, y'know? In life? And then you turn up and it feels like…I don't know, like you're here to help me get to where I'm supposed to be. I meant it earlier when I said it feels like you were made just for me, Edward. We fit."

He demonstrated this by placing his other palm over our joined hands and completely engulfing my entire hand in his. I looked from our hands in my lap to his eyes and was amazed at the adoration I saw there. As I pulled him towards me I placed a chaste kiss on his gorgeous mouth. I leaned my forehead against his as I pulled away slightly.

I knew now was the time; I had to give him my past as he had given me his. I had to let him know me and decide when he had seen into my empty heart whether he truly thought we fit. Taking a deep breath I prepared to tell my own story for the first time since I was six years old.

**Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this story, put me on alert or added me to their favourites list. I can't even describe how much it means to me that you take the time to do so.**

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**So no lemon in this chapter to fill it out any. Hope I did ok with Jasper's past? Let me know what you thought.**

**Edward next.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sleeves Chapter Five**

EPOV

Squeezing my eyes closed against the slew of nerves roaring through my body and settling in my stomach like a hundred pound weight I grasped more tightly to Jasper's shoulders. Our foreheads were still pressed together and the soft breaths panting across my face kept me grounded; the air I was breathing in tasted of sweetness and warmth. I gulped it down greedily.

How was I going to do this? In such a short time Jasper had come to mean more to me than anyone I'd met in twenty years. He was kind and caring, thoughtful. My heart ached at the thought of scaring him away now. Before we had even had a chance. How would he react when he knew the truth? Would it be now that he finally caved and asked me to leave? A light sweat began to bead at the nape of my neck and slide down my spine at the thought of his dismissal.

I took in a deep, steadying breath and cautiously opened my eyes. Jasper was staring intently at me, reassurance and concern flitting behind his eyes. I ran my hands slowly upwards, allowing them to travel over his strong, broad shoulders before settling against his jaw. My eyes had almost adjusted to the darkness of the room and I could make out a light scruff of course hair beginning to cause shadows on his beautiful face. I couldn't help but admire the stunning man sitting before me; his sharp jaw and full, pink lips begging me to run my tongue over them, his high cheekbones and kind eyes, the smooth skin of his throat leading down to his strong chest and arms, the ink and metal there only adding to his beauty. He was perfect. I wanted to keep him. Fuck.

"I don't even know where to start," I whispered, trying to read every emotion in his eyes. "I haven't told my story to anyone before."

He shook his head slightly and pulled my hands back down to my lap, entwining my fingers with his own. "Why not?"

"I guess nobody has cared enough to ask." I realised just how true that statement was when I tried to remember anyone asking me about my past, my life, without obligation to their job, and came up with nothing. "I've never felt close enough to anyone to want to explain myself, to need to share this part of me. Until you."

Ducking my head, I dropped my gaze to our hands in my lap.

"Hey." Jasper lowered his head to catch my eyes and waited until I looked at him before continuing. "I want to know, Edward. Good and bad. I want to know you."

My breath caught in my throat and I nodded my head. This was it.

"I was six years old when my mom and twin sister were killed in a house fire in our home. My dad was out at work and Alice had gone to bed early and I stayed up with my mom for a while. I think I was worried that she'd be lonely on her own though she probably just wanted some peace and quiet." I breathed out a nervous laugh, trying and failing to make the situation a little less morose. Jasper's fingers curled a little more tightly around my own and I was so fucking grateful for it. He kept me anchored to the present when I could so easily have been drowning in the past; although it did little to stop the fact that my heart was fucking pounding in my chest and I could feel the blood rushing through my veins and pounding in my ears. I felt raw and exposed, the old wounds that had never healed were ripping me apart from within.

I couldn't look at Jasper as I spoke and he didn't push me to. He understood - I had to do this my own way. My chest heaved as I took in a massive lungful of cool air, trying to keep myself calm.

"It was early December and we had stayed up late watching some old Christmas movie. When it was time to go to bed I begged my mom to leave the Christmas lights on." My eyes clenched against the memory. My heart beat faster in my chest and my skin started to feel so fucking clammy. "I can't even remember why it was so important to me. But it was. She told me it wasn't safe, that we needed to turn them off but I just wouldn't drop it. I got her to cave and was so fucking happy when we walked up the staircase together and could still see the glow of the decorations."

I could feel my eyes begin to water and blinked repeatedly to clear them. Jasper squeezed my fingers gently and I knew I had to keep going. I had to get this out.

"I woke up in a hospital bed crying for my mom and I remember panicking when she didn't come. The room cleared of nurses and doctors and I noticed my dad sitting in a green, plastic chair in the corner of the room. He wouldn't look at me. I kept calling 'Daddy' but he didn't even move. I was fucking terrified and he couldn't even look up to comfort his kid."

The anger I felt at my father was simmering under the surface. I'd never spoken of this to anyone before. Not the state appointed therapist or my social worker. No one. And saying it out loud now, hearing the words I'd kept bottled up, was making everything real and raw. It felt good to purge myself of even a small part of the absolute fury I felt towards him. Carrying it around for another twenty years would destroy me.

Jasper curled his legs in front of him, pulling the thin sheet up over his hips. He loosened his grip on one of my hands and brought his fingers up to scratch at his jaw, continuing to rub gentle, soothing circles over my knuckles with his other hand. I was so grateful for his patience. I really did want to share this with him. Fuck, I wanted to share everything with him but I had to do it at my own pace.

I struggled to continue and the memories now running through my head had me shaking; my voice was trembling, hoarse and thick.

"Without even looking up my dad told me there'd been a fire and that Mom and Ali were gone. Curled up in a ball on the hospital bed, I was a fucking sobbing mess and he barely batted an eye. He didn't move. My mom, my best friend in the whole world, was gone. And tiny little Alice, the best fucking person I've ever known, had been ripped out of my life and I was left, six years old, to deal with it on my own.

My dad couldn't look me in the eye and he barely spoke two words to me the whole time I was in the hospital getting over the smoke inhalation I'd suffered. I've never felt so alone, it was fucking horrible. Who could I turn to when my dad, the guy I'd played catch with in our yard, the guy who taught me to tie my fucking shoe laces, wouldn't even look at me?

It only got worse when we went back to our home. The fucking blackened rooms took months to scrub down and build back up and it must have really taken it's toll on my dad. I retreated into myself. I had nobody to speak to or play with, my dad left me completely alone. He fed me but that was about as far as his parental concern went. He wouldn't speak to me unless it was to bark orders at me and eventually after months of silence the only communication I had with him was when he swore at me and reminded me how fucking useless I was."

I had to stop to fight back a sob. The memories of my father from before the fire, when our family had been whole and happy, were irreconcilable to the man I lived with afterwards. He went from being my confidante, my fucking hero, to a complete stranger whose animosity towards me, a child suffering the loss of his family alone, left me fucking devastated.

I pushed forward and told Jasper of how for years the man would ignore me until he had downed a few beers then hurl insults and abuse at me. I grew a pretty thick skin in the time I spent living with him.

It wasn't until I was almost ten years old that I found out the reason behind his anger. A drinking binge got out of hand and I somehow found myself pinned up against a wall with tears burning tracks down my cheeks and arms and legs flailing uselessly against his strength.

'You'll fucking pay for what you did to me,' he had raged at me. 'Your fucking selfish, no-good attitude killed them. You killed them.'

I would never forget those words until the day I died. That day changed everything for me. From that second on I never doubted it; I had killed them. I had forced my mom to keep those lights on knowing it wasn't safe to do it. I was selfish. I was a murderer. I deserved all the fury my father had reserved for me. I deserved his ire, his rage. His punches and slaps.

If it was possible I withdrew further into myself, never making friends at school, not trusting the psychiatrists appointed to me by the hospital nor the social worker that visited every month after the funeral of my family. At home I would lock myself in my room and read. I excelled in school. It was all I did.

As the years passed my father lost more and more of his former spark until he could barely be bothered lifting his fists to me. I worked my fucking ass off at school - being a teenager with very few friends did that to a kid. From a very young age I worked wherever I could, starting by mowing lawns and washing cars and moving to work at our local diner every night after school and every weekend. Anything to keep me away from home.

"I hated myself more every year that passed without my mom's hugs and Ali's laughter. I was so fucking angry at myself all the time. I still am. I'm a fucking monster." My voice broke at my admission of my self loathing. It had haunted me since the night my father held me by the throat against the wall where mom's picture still hung and told me how those fucking decorations had started an electrical fire and how my mom was trying to get to me when she was over taken by the flames. Angry tears spilled down my cheeks and I let my head fall against my chest.

I looked up to see Jasper's eyes turn from compassionate and warm to being filled with steel and anger.

"Don't you ever speak of yourself like that again." His voice sounded fierce and protective. "Edward, what happened was a mistake. You can't blame yourself for any of it. You were just a kid."

Jasper swallowed roughly as I watched tears pool in his beautiful eyes and drip gently onto his covered knees. He scrubbed roughly at them with both hands, seemingly surprised by their presence on his cheeks.

"You're not a monster, baby. You're good. I can see it in your eyes." He moved closer towards me, pulling me into his arms and holding me closely. I could hear his heart beating rapidly under my ear. It almost drowned out the sound of his raspy voice whispering, "I wish you could see yourself like I do."

I cried softly into his chest knowing that I didn't deserve his faith in me. I could feel his lungs sucking in air and the warmth of his tears on my shoulder. This man would be my undoing. I had to finish my story; he had to know that I didn't want to feel this way anymore. I wanted to be good. And now that I knew him, I wanted to be good for him. I drew myself away from the safety of his arms and took a deep breath.

"I gained a full scholarship to NYU School of Medicine, used my savings to move away from home and worked every second I could at becoming a better person. I wanted to help families and children, mothers, fathers, friends. I wanted to pay for my sins. I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon. I help people every day who have problems with their hearts and lungs and every patient that I help gives me a tiny piece of myself back, a fragment of my pride."

Since pulling away from Jasper I had been focused on the way his slender fingers picked at invisible threads on his sheets. I looked up and was met with his red rimmed eyes holding a look of such pride that my heart stuttered and skipped a few beats. Before I could get my bearings I was being hauled over to Jasper and into his lap. His hands were on my face, wiping away my stinging tears and his lips were against mine is a searing kiss.

"You're good, Edward," he mumbled with such adoration, such conviction that I was overcome with emotion. A whimper escaped my throat and Jasper held me so tightly to his chest as I let my tears fall that I felt as though he was holding me together. "You're good, baby. I knew it."

So many emotions were leaving my body that I found myself trembling in Jasper's arms as I cried softly into his chest. Anger at my lost childhood and my negligent father, unconcerned about the grief of his son and only wrapped up in his own sorrow; pride at my accomplishments throughout my career, helping so many people to be able to live their lives to the fullest; guilt at the memories of my beautiful mother and sister and my part in their deaths; gratitude at the beautiful soul holding me and absolute elation at the thought of his acceptance.

I felt safe for the first time in such a long time and as I leaned in to move my lips against Jasper's I knew that although I didn't absolve myself of my guilt and I didn't cure myself of my self loathing, that I had taken an enormous step in the right direction tonight. Because of Jasper.

I certainly didn't love myself, but I could already feel myself falling for this kind, considerate, sexy, strong man. Maybe if he felt something for me he could show me what he sees? Teach me to like myself for the first time in my adult life? Teach me to love again?

I felt a peace that I hadn't known existed settle over my soul as Jasper's hands slid to my hips and his mouth moved languidly against mine, and as the morning sun cast a hazy orange glow across the room I kissed my way across his throat to his ear.

"Thank you," I whispered solemnly and rolled my hips against his.

**The response to the last chapter was absolutely incredible. I can't thank you all enough. I will get round to replying to your reviews soon, sorry if I haven't gotten to you yet.**

**Thank you so much to harrytwifan, my awesome beta. You're hard work has been amazing, thankyou.**

**Please leave me a wee review and let me know what you thought. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Sleeves Chapter Six**

EPOV

"Thank you, Jasper," I whispered again tenderly, moving my mouth towards his and placing a lingering kiss there. I could taste his tears mixed with my own and his compassion towards me caused my heart to pick up it's pace, thumping wildly in my chest. He felt something for me; I could see it in his eyes, feel it in the way he brushed his fingers so softly over the skin at the small of my back before pulling me more closely against him.

His cock was growing between us and I felt my own thicken and harden with the knowledge. Something was happening between us, something had changed in the time since I woke up crying and shaking. I could feel it thick in the air around us as I let me tongue tangle with his. My hands were on the sides of his neck, holding him to me and running my thumbs along the sharp angles of his jaw.

He sighed softly and opened his mouth further to me, pulling my tongue inside and caressing it seductively with his, wrapping it around mine and flicking it lightly. As he began to nibble at my bottom lip I couldn't help but rock against him in his lap; his throbbing cock was trapped between our bodies, rubbing fucking deliciously against my own. Our breathy moans and sighs filled the room, the hazy orange glow of the new morning basking us in a warmth and security that I cherished.

I tangled one hand in the hair at the nape of his neck, feeling the soft strands wrap themselves around my fingers, and lowered my other down between our bodies to take both of our cocks in hand. I pumped them slowly, shifting my pelvis with every downward motion. Jasper's dick felt hot and heavy in my hand. Perfect. His body shuddered beneath mine as he moved his hips in time with my strokes.

Panting and trembling I pushed us both closer and closer to the edge. I inhaled sharply as I felt warm pressure massaging gently at my entrance. I dragged myself away from Jasper's lips to look down into his eyes. The softly lit room allowed his cerulean eyes to glow deeply, speckles of bright blue and grass green now becoming apparent where they had previously been hidden in the darkness of the night. They shone with warmth and an affection so deep it made my chest ache. I wondered what my eyes were revealing to Jasper. Lust? Hope? Comfort? Love?

I felt his fingers leave my ass for a second before returning, slick and eager, pushing first one then two slowly inside me. I moaned lowly, desperate to close my eyes at the sensation but wholly unable to tear them away from Jasper's face. This meant more than it did last night, no longer just a quick fuck. This meant everything. I kept up my pace on our heavy, throbbing dicks, enjoying the feeling of Jasper's fingers stretching me, until he begged me to slow down.

"Wait, baby, I need to be inside you. I need to feel you, Edward."

Nodding my head to show my assent I released us and scooted back onto his thighs. I leaned over to his bedside table to retrieve a condom he had placed there and opened the foil packet, carefully rolling the rubber down his length. I couldn't help but admire the thickness of him, his fucking beautiful piercing and how his head glistened at the tip. I let the condom cover the length of him then pumped him quickly a few times, absolutely loving the quick intake of breath and lowly muttered 'fuck' that escaped him.

My legs ached slightly from the night before as I pushed up onto my knees and positioned myself above Jasper. The burn in my thighs was more than fucking welcome as I remembered him moving above me the night before. I focused on his beautiful eyes, something buzzing around us, enveloping us in a thick air of emotion, as Jasper held his cock still with one hand and encouraged me to lower myself onto him with his other firmly on my hip.

Full, stretched; I felt fucking complete when I sat with my ass flush against his thighs after pulling his straining erection inside me inch by inch. My dick was throbbing as I lifted up slowly until his tip was just at my entrance and lowered myself back down onto him. I moved with rhythm and precision, clenching my muscles to give Jasper the greatest pleasure.

He moaned softly as we moved together languidly. We took our time, learning and enjoying each others bodies. Jasper pulled himself up and shifted so we were chest to chest and captured my bottom lip between his teeth, nipping gently at the swollen flesh. I moaned softly when he ran his tongue along the seam of my lips and didn't hesitate in opening my mouth to him. Our tongues slid against each other so fucking erotically that I felt myself become light headed.

Jasper lifted his hips towards my body and guided my movements with his hands under my ass. When I couldn't ignore my aching cock any longer I wrapped my fist around myself and began to stroke in time with our thrusts. My orgasm was coming on fast, coiling in the pit of my stomach and tingling in my balls. I could tell Jasper was getting close as his hips lifted more erratically, quicker and harder against me.

"You're so fucking beautiful, Jasper," I whispered into his ear after running my tongue around the shell and nipping lightly at his lobe. I was consumed by his beauty as his eyes clenched tightly and the muscles of his jaw tightened, accentuating the strong lines of it. "You've changed my life." It wasn't a fucking lie; I would never be the same man again.

"Edward." Jasper's throaty voice calling my name as he stilled and emptied inside of me pushed me over the edge and I was coming so hard, whispering his name over and over. I exploded onto our chests, resting my head on his shoulder as I gulped in air and tried to slow my thundering heart. My fingers ran over his back, chasing beads of sweat and memorising the lines of his muscles as we calmed.

When I moved off of him, settling against the headboard I felt the loss immediately. Jasper quickly removed his condom, tying it in a knot and throwing in to the floor at the side of the bed. He reached down and pulled up a clean rag from amongst his collections of brushes and oils and began to clean off my chest and stomach, finishing by wiping himself off and pulling me down against him. I curled myself around his body and felt that same peace I'd been noticing all night wash over me. Jasper's fingers traced nonsensical lines across the skin of my arm and side and I felt deliciously exhausted; sated and content.

"Tell me about your tattoos?" he asked in a low voice, seemingly not wanting to disturb the quiet of the early morning.

My body wanted to freeze up at the normally intrusive question but I found myself telling Jasper before I had even decided to do so. It seemed my heart knew I could trust him and gave me no other option.

"The tribal is an abject phoenix; I like the symbolism of rising above. Rising from the ashes, so to speak. It's all I ever wanted to achieve for a long time." I didn't want to tell him that now I might have other goals, wishes. Dreams. "I had it started when I was accepted into med school and worked away at it over the years as I studied, y'know, just doing a bit at a time. It was so fucking cathartic; every time they added more to it I was a step closer to finishing school and maybe closer to accomplishing my goal. It was cleansing to feel the burn of the needle and be reminded that I was doing something with my life. I was doing good."

I shrugged at the thought, embarrassment warming my cheeks. I'd never had to explain my tattoos to anyone before. I knew why I wanted them and what they meant to me but would it translate to other people? Would Jasper understand that I needed to look in the mirror and see something worth being proud of instead of the killer I'd grown accustomed to? Even if it was only a reflection showing the intention to better myself? To do something worthwhile in my life to atone for my sins?

The warmth of Jasper's fingertips moved to my shoulder and chest, tracing the lines of ink there. He hummed softly and I knew that he understood part, if not all, of my reasoning. I melted further into him and threw my leg over his, our feet intertwining at the bottom of the bed.

"My left sleeve is everything that I lost in the fire. My mom and Alice are represented there. Even my dad is in there. The father I knew died that day too; the dad I remember playing catch and reading me to sleep at night. My mom was a music teacher; the notes on my forearm are of the lullaby she wrote for Ali and me when we were born. She used to sing it to us every night." My voice grew soft as I was lost to the memories. My mum was fucking perfect. I still missed her every day.

"Alice is in the butterflies. She was fucking crazy about them. Everything was butterflies and faeries. And my dad is the cursive lettering. He was a university professor, he taught English Lit before my mom and Ali died. The lettering shows Latin forms of words meaning parent, guidance and love. Everything he gave me and everything I lost." Jasper's arm pulled me closer into his chest and I felt at ease talking to him about these things. I snuggled in closer and decided to leave it at that for now. I would tell him about the rotten, broken branches of the tree on my right shoulder if he ever asked again. I didn't want to delve into how broken and loathsome I felt at my lowest points. I just wanted to enjoy the moment for what it was.

For the first time in my life I was remembering the happy times in my childhood and feeling some peace within myself. I knew it was all thanks to Jasper. He had truly changed my life and I would never be able to thank him enough for this quiet contemplation he was allowing me.

We lay tangled together in bed speaking softly and napping through the rest of the morning. Jasper told me more about his brother and his art, his mom and his own tattoos. I loved learning about him and felt fucking honored each second I was in his presence. The more I learned about him the more I recognized how beautiful he really was; he was generous and nurturing, prideful and benevolent. He made me feel so safe and cared for and I could only hope that as he learned more about me I could make him feel the same.

He held me as I cried over the death of Peter and clenched his jaw tightly when I told him of my breakdown when Mr. Robertson had screamed at me in the halls of the hospital, telling me I killed their son, that I would have his blood on my hands for the rest of my life. I told him about the patients I had helped and those who were living their lives today because of me.

**Updated AN:**

**I want to thank every single one of you who read, reviewed, added me to alert or their favourites lists and supported and encouraged me in my writing.**

**Thanks to all of your wonderful reviews I've decided to continue this story in JPOV for a while and see where it goes. It was only ever intended to be a one-shot, probably a short one at that, but I've had such an amazing time writing this that I don't want to stop now.**

**I'm going to take a bit more time with the chapters and hopefully make them a little longer so updates wont be as quick as they have been. I'm also going to use a beta/pre-reader so grammar and spelling will be of a higher quality. **

**Huggge thanks to my lovely beta, harrytwifan, for all her hard work. You rock, girl!**

**Please review and let me know what you thought. **

**Expect the next chapter next week.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sleeves Chapter Seven**

**Sorry about the previous formatting issue, have no idea what happened there! Enjoy.**

JPOV

Stretching idly and rolling to my back I brought one hand down to scratch my blunt fingernails lazily through the hair under my navel. The ache in my bones and the grin unconsciously taking over my face were a welcome reminder of last night and of the last few days spent with Edward. I sighed contentedly and let my eyes fall to the side to see him stretched out on his stomach, his head turned to face me and his feet still tangled with mine despite our distance. It was as though even when we got too hot wrapped up together under the sheets and had separated to the cooler outer edges of the bed he still needed to be connected to me in some way. I could understand that. His plump lips puffed with every exhale and his thick lashes cast shadows over his cheekbones. He looked like an angel.

Squinting my eyes at the little clock on my dresser, I groaned inwardly when I saw it was barely past six. The room was filled with a muted orange glow, the winter sun breaking through the haze of cloud and smoke to shine meekly down through my window. I buried my head more deeply in my pillows, closed my eyes against the morning light, and let my thoughts become filled with all things Edward.

This weekend had been the very best of my life; I felt such a weight lifted from my shoulders as soon as my fingers had laced with his at the bar. The guilt I had carried with me for so long eased from my chest, allowing me to breathe more easily for the first time in years.

I can't explain the pull I felt towards Edward as soon as my eyes fell on his bowed form at the bar. Walking out of the staff side door and heading quickly towards the exit, I had intended to walk the few blocks home as soon as I finished and get some rest. It had been a long day between working almost religiously at my easel and dealing with drunk customers at the bar for hours; my neck and shoulders ached from the tension I'd been carrying around with me since starting my shift with James.

The guy was a sleaze. He'd hit on anything that moved and I was exhausted trying, yet again, to ward off his advances. He just put me on edge and I couldn't be happier when my shift was over and I could go home for the night. Only, I didn't make it home. I saw him.

He was sitting alone at the bar, a shock of bronze hair still bright in the dim room hung low between his shoulders. He looked defeated and I couldn't understand the fierce protective instinct I felt growing in my chest the second I saw this stranger. I stood off to the side of the bar, lurking in the shadows, and watched him like some kind of creep, hoping to catch a glimpse of his face, or hear the melody of his voice in quiet conversation. His head lifted slowly and he turned to allow his eyes to roam over the room as I swallowed thickly at the sight of him.

His jaw was strong and chiselled and his bright eyes glowed even through the fog of smoke lingering in the air. He was beautiful, and when he turned back towards the bar and lifted a glass of amber liquid to his mouth I found myself transfixed by the way his full, pink lips curved around the glass and the way his tongue peeked out to taste the biting liquor. I couldn't look away and my body reacted instantly.

It was when I saw James make his move, winking and grinning, and the beautiful stranger's shoulders tense in obvious discomfort that I was propelled into action. Hardly giving it a second thought I shot a glare at James and leaned down to press my lips against the skin of the man's forehead. It was soft and cool and it took every ounce of strength I could muster to pull away.

Something sparked deep inside me when he followed me, without hesitation, to a booth in the corner and again when he allowed me to lead him out of the bar and toward my apartment. I hadn't spoken more than a few words to Edward but before we had even reached my home I had determined he was gay, he was attracted to me in some measure and he was drowning in some emotion that threatened to overtake him. The attraction I, myself, felt towards this man was so intense it shook me to my core and knowing something was hurting him had my chest aching in a very real, very sharp way.

I struggled to get a hold of the torrent of feeling he was evoking in me. Lust was causing my body to ache to be close to him; my hands were begging to be tangled in his wild hair and my dick was twitching to be buried deep inside him. My heart pounded in my chest at the thought of this beautiful man feeling any kind of sorrow and the protectiveness I had felt earlier kicked in full force and caused me to tighten my grip on his fingers as we rounded the corner onto my block.

When I closed the door to my apartment and we pushed and pulled against each other I was sure I'd never felt as turned on in my life. I thought I would explode when his tongue wrapped around the steel in my nipples and then I just about came undone watching his reaction to my pierced cock. Seeing Edward fall to his knees before me and take me deep within his mouth had me trembling with need.

When Edward stripped before me, exposing inch after inch of inked flesh, I couldn't help but wonder what had inspired him to cover himself so fully in the thick, black bands. His pale skin peeking out between the markings was one of the most erotic things I'd ever seen on a man. I had my own art and could definitely appreciate the creativity and absolute certainty that was required when getting inked. I had always liked seeing men with art. But there was something more about Edward; he looked so clean cut in his dress shirt and slacks, clean shaven and professional but was hiding away all this ink, this dark and beautiful art. It had me whispering how I thought he was made for me before I'd even given my mouth permission to speak. I couldn't doubt the truth in my words.

As I watched him suck me off and come all over his stomach I thought nothing could be better than that moment. When I felt his warmth wrap around me as I slid in and out of his tight hole, his muscles clenching around my aching dick so exquisitely, his gasps and moans filling the air with my every deep thrust, I decided that nothing had ever felt so perfect. And as I held him tightly to me as he cried into my chest and told him about my life and my torment, I knew with utter certainty that I'd never felt closer to a human being in my whole life.

I hadn't intended to tell him about my momma and Ben so readily; I simply wanted to put him at ease and I found the words tumbling from my mouth before I could think to stop them. I'd do anything to ease his pain, it seemed. His shaking sobs were tugging at my heart causing an ache to tighten my chest and a heavy sickness to settle in my stomach.

It was the first time I'd told anyone about the responsibility I felt towards my family. My father had up and left, leaving me with the responsibility to my momma and little brother as the man of the house. My guilt at leaving them seemed to ease as Edward listened with rapt attention to my story. I was beginning to see that I was truly doing the best I could for them and it was thanks to Edward that I allowed myself to let go of some of the burden I'd placed on my shoulders from such a young age.

I'd only known Edward a matter of hours and yet with one touch of his fingers to my chin, lifting it gently and forcing my eyes to meet his, he seemed to break through the walls I'd put up when I first moved to the city, The absolute conviction that shone there had me rethinking everything I'd previously believed about myself and my family.

When the tables turned and he relayed his own tale to me I clenched my jaw and grit my teeth as thoughts of that sick fuck laying his hands on an innocent child, innocent Edward, bombarded me. The protective side of me roared to life and I wanted nothing more than to hold Edward to me and promise him I'd never let anything hurt him again.

My heart broke for the child who lost his family in a horrible accident and my head reeled at the fact that, because of that monster, Edward believed himself to be responsible. As I held his hands in my own, his long fingers twisted with mine, I wanted to give him the reprieve from his pain that he had given me. I fervently told him again and again that he was good. I could sense it from the moment I looked into his sharp, green eyes, I could feel it in the way he touched me and told me I made a difference to the lives of my family. And when he spoke about his job and his eyes lit from within with a passion and an intensity that thrilled me I knew it; he was good.

We moved together that morning, slowly and meaningfully, learning every inch of each other's bodies and the sense of completion I felt when he lowered himself fully onto me made my heart crash in my chest and the blood in my veins sing for him. I never wanted him to leave. How did I make him see that I wanted him near me? For as long as he'd stay. I'd pulled him down to lay beside me and hoped like hell he didn't move to leave.

Edward seemed to read my mind and my heart thundered in my chest so loudly I wasn't sure I'd even heard him properly when he whispered into the clammy skin of my neck.

"I don't know how I'll find the strength to walk out of here when the weekend's over. I don't know how I'll walk away from you,"

"I'll never let it happen," I promised him, hiding the smile on my face in his mop of wild hair. "Remember baby, we were made for each other."

Hearing a soft snore next to me I shook my head of the thoughts of yesterday and rolled to my side to face Edward. His light purple eyelids were fluttering quickly and his breathing began to speed up from the long, low breaths of a deep sleep. I traced my fingertip ever so gently over his dark eyebrows, along the straight line of his nose and down to his full lips. They parted under my touch and a tiny puff of sweet air fell across my face. I inhaled deeply and moved my mouth closer to his, sucking in the air that he was finished with and relishing in the warmth of each exhalation as it enveloped me.

I watched, finding myself hypnotised by his beauty as his eyes opened slowly and blinked against the orange sunlight saturating the room. Running my hand across his jaw, enjoying the scratch and pull of his scruff against my palm, I brought my lips to cover his in a soft kiss.

"Morning, baby." I whispered, my lips still brushing his with every word uttered. The feeling was incredible and I wanted to list the name of every star in the universe just to prolong the sensation.

"Jasper," he sighed softly and my heart soared at the sound of his voice, husky and thick with sleep, saying my name. I wanted to wake up to that sound every morning. I felt my face pull into a happy grin and watched Edward's eyes come to life before me; a warmth and mirth shining from the beautiful pools of emerald green.

He pulled his body close to mine, pushing his knee between my legs and molding his torso to the shape of mine. His body still held the warmth of sleep and a sigh quietly fell from my lips as I allowed myself to cuddle into him. The intensity of the feelings I had for him terrified me. Complete adoration, desire, affection and trust overwhelmed me and had me feeling complete in ways I'd never known before

The only real relationship I'd been in had ended after two years and left me broken and hurt, having never felt the way I did right now. How much worse would it feel when Edward moved on and away from me? I had learned in life that everyone leaves eventually, whether after 17 years of paternal guidance, 22 years of marriage and commitment or 3 days of pleasure and hope. It would kill me when he left. It scared me to death how much I already cared for Edward, but it felt so right I decided I wouldn't dwell on anything past this moment, this perfect moment with his head in the nook of my shoulder and his heart beating steadily against my chest. I would take everything Edward was able to offer me.

"What are your plans for today, Jasper? Do you have to work tonight?" Edward whispered quietly into the skin of my neck, placing tiny, wet kisses as he spoke and making it increasingly difficult for me to focus on anything other than the sensations he was causing in my body.

"Yeah, just for a few hours tonight." I replied after a second, my voice still husky from misuse this morning, and slightly distracted from the feel of his tongue running over my Adam's apple. "You could...if you wanted to...you could come and hang out at the bar? There are a couple of bands playing tonight, it might be fun," I trailed off nervously, unsure of what his reaction might be.

I waited with bated breath for his answer. Had I crossed a line inviting him to spend more time with me after having not left his side for 48 hours? Shit, Jasper. I needed to calm down.

"I have some things I need to do at home. I need a shower and a fresh change of clothes."

I exhaled loudly at his polite dismissal. It would be OK. He would go home and I would go to work. I would try to forget the beautiful man I'd spent my weekend with. I'd be OK. My heart felt heavy at the thought. I wasn't fooling myself; the pain was already working its way through my veins and I struggled to look Edward in the eye when he lifted his face to mine,afraid that he would read my distress too easily. Afraid that he would realise how dependant I'd become on him in such a short time. I didn't want to lose him.

"Jasper?" he paused, confusion marring his perfect features. "You could come by my place with me after we grab breakfast? I could, uh, pick up some stuff for tomorrow too maybe?"

He sounded as uncertain as I was, shy and exposed. His eyes flashed to mine and away again, hope and doubt the warring emotions behind the deep green. My heart thundered in my chest when the meaning of his words finally clicked. He wanted to stay with me.

An hour and forty-five minutes later we were huddled into a window booth of the greasy diner on my street. Edward was wearing his creased slacks and wrinkled white shirt for the first time since he'd followed me into my apartment the other night. He looked deliciously rumpled and handsome as he slouched down into the warmth of the sweater I'd loaned him, blowing out warm air into his hands and rubbing them frantically together. The short walk in the brisk November air had stained his cheeks and nose pink and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

We'd lain in bed as long as we could this morning, touching and kissing innocently. I had kissed my way slowly across the rises and dips of Edwards muscled stomach and raised my eyes, watching in amusement, as his cheeks and ears burned red at the sound of his stomach rumbling loudly. The slight twinge in my heart as I watched Edward dress to leave was only lessened at the promise of him returning this afternoon. With me. To spend the night.

"What can I get you boys?" A sickly sweet voice interrupted us as my eyes roamed over Edward's face, mapping every angle I found there. His eyes caught mine, indicating that I should order first, and I felt a little embarrassed at being caught staring. The crooked smirk that pulled at his lips let me know that he didn't mind at all.

I cleared my throat and lifted an eyebrow at Edward, ordering my double stack and bacon without raising my eyes to the waitress.

"I'll have scrambled eggs and bacon. Thank you." Ever the gentleman, Edward looked up to our server and ordered his breakfast politely. Maybe too politely I wondered while growling under my breath as the girl trailed a blood red fingernail along Edwards arm before she walked away.

"Shit," he muttered rolling his eyes at her display. His disregard for the girl settled the jealous beast inside me and I almost rolled my eyes at myself. I chuckled thinking that if I were in her position I would be affected by him too.

"When do you go back to work? I can't believe a hot shot surgeon like you could have more than a few days off at a time." I teased, aware that I had been lucky to get these last few days with him. The timing seemed perfect. I had lucked into two nights off from the bar on Friday and Saturday- something that hardly ever happened- and Edward apparently had three days off from the hospital, which was surely unusual for a surgical resident. Ideas of fate and serendipity flitted through my mind. I'd never invested much thought in them before.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "After Peter on Thursday I was told to take some time. I'm on call from six tomorrow morning and start my shift at noon." As he spoke his voice turned sombre and I could almost see his beautiful green eyes replaying the scenes that had haunted him since Thursday.

He shifted in his seat and his eyes darkened and fell to his lap where his fingers were fidgeting idly, playing with the hem of his sweater, then with the cuff. I leaned over the small table, grabbing his hand from his lap and tangling my fingers around his. Edward looked up and smiled apologetically at me while I rubbed tiny, soothing circles over his knuckles with my thumb. His palm was soft and warm pressed against mine, the heat from the diner finally ridding him of the chill from outside.

"Sorry, baby," I whispered lowly, my chest aching at the thought that I'd reminded him of his demons, causing him this discomfort. His fingers squeezed my own and he shot a grateful smile at me as our waitress slid our plates in front us, not noticing our hands joined on the tabletop until I loosened Edward's to pick up my fork.

The look on her face was comical as her sticky looking, red lips twisted into a tiny 'o' and her eyebrows lifted to her hairline. She mumbled something about coffee and scurried off towards the register, an embarrassed flush appearing on her chest and neck. Chuckling quietly into my coffee I looked up over my cup to watch Edward's reaction. His gorgeous blush made an appearance and his eyes were fixed on his plate as he cut his bacon meticulously. Huh. Was he embarrassed to be seen with me? Or with a man in general? Both ideas were unwelcome and left me feeling ill at ease. How long had he been out? He hadn't seemed to mind holding my hand at the bar or on the walk to my apartment afterwards. What had changed since then? I made a mental note to ask him about it later and distractedly began eating my pancakes.

We ate quietly and I made sure to leave a decent tip for our waitress, shooting her a sympathetic smile as I followed Edward out into the cold. We had decided to walk to the hospital, a few blocks from the bar, to pick up Edward's car and head back to his place to get his things. We walked closely together, our shoulders brushing as we kept our hands warmly in our pockets and matched each others' strides.

As we rounded the corner to the employee parking lot, Edward pulled out a key and hit a button before promptly stuffing his hand back into his pocket. It was turning out to be one of the coldest winters I'd experienced since moving to New York and I briefly longed for the hot, dry sun of Texas. Blinking lights to the left alerted me to the fact that Edward had found his car in the busy lot and I followed him to a vehicle covered with a thick layer of ice. Yeah, a little sunshine would be perfect right about now. The car was beautiful, all sleek lines and undisguised power.

Paling slightly, I tried not to think of my beat up truck, rusty and worn. I'd had it six months and it was already on it's last legs. How had he been able to buy a sixty thousand dollar car on the savings from a few after school jobs and a surgical residency? There was more to Edward than he'd told me, but that was OK; I'd take anything he was willing to share with me and could be patient and wait for the rest. I was hoping he'd want me to stick around.

We went to work scraping the car and panting out smoky gusts of air. As I sank into the warm leather seats and felt the warmth from the heater on my frozen fingers, I raised a questioning eyebrow at Edward.

"My mom left me the contents of her savings account," he told me on the drive to his apartment. "I've only ever used the money on this car, when my old Volvo broke down, and my condo." He looked guilty for a second and I guessed he didn't like the thought of spending his mom's money at all.

I nodded at his explanation and moved to rest my hand on his knee. As we connected I heard him sigh a breath of relief and saw his tight grip on the steering wheel relax some. I felt it too; the second we touched my whole body felt at ease. I felt at peace and wondered if he felt it too.

The car pulled smoothly into the underground parking garage of a gigantic high rise, all glass and steel. Edward cut the engine, stepping out and rounding the car, and pulled me towards him as soon as I'd done the same. His fingers linked in my hair and his lips parted, sucking my bottom one between his and nipping it lightly with his teeth.

"Fuck, I've missed that." He almost whimpered, pulling away before I could even respond. He led me towards an elevator at the back of the building and hit the button for the 83rd floor when we stepped inside. I was glad I wasn't scared of heights.

He kept his hand linked with mine the whole ride up and pulled me down an immaculate hallway when the elevator stopped. Fishing his keys out of his pants pocket he opened the white, wood panelled door and led me inside. I closed the door softly behind me and turned to face Edward. He was watching me with such passion that my heart skipped a few beats. I felt light headed but moved towards him all the same. His eyes shone with affection and desire, and fluttered closed as I pushed my body against him, letting my lips kiss his sweetly. A calm settled over me as the tip of my tongue slid out to meet his and my knees felt weak at the intensity of it all.

"Seeing you standing in my living room makes it real, Jasper. It makes you real." He moaned as I let my mouth move over his throat and his hands came up to hold me to him, one firmly planted on each hip. "Welcome to my home."

The intensity of his voice made me pause and look up into his eyes; passion and rapture burning in them. His hands tightened their hold on me and I nodded my head and moved my mouth back to his throat, his jaw, his mouth. Welcome to my home, he'd said. All I had heard was, "welcome home."

**The song I had in my head for this chapter is Welcome Home by Radical Face. Go listen to it, you'll love it.**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and alerts for the last chapter. You have yourselves to thank (or blame) for me continuing to write this story.**

**Thank you so much to harrytwifan, my incredible beta. I couldn't have finished this chapter without your support and I'm so glad to have you on board. Thank you!**

**Hope you enjoyed Jasper's POV. Leave a wee review and let me know what you thought.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sleeves Chapter Eight**

JPOV

Beads of warm water dripped from his chest, running over his clenching stomach before following the trail of wiry hair downwards from his navel. Bronze hair, darkened and heavy, fell into his eyes as long fingers reached up to push the wayward locks off his forehead. Muscled arms, braced against the cool tile wall, held the bulk of his weight as his strong back, beaded with sweat and dripping with soapy suds, arched away from me, pushing his firm ass further into my aching cock.

I shook my head clear of thoughts of Edward, warm and wet and dripping, as the sounds of his shower echoed through the apartment. With every intent of ignoring my throbbing erection I stood, adjusting myself uncomfortably, and made my way to the far wall of the room. Made completely of glass, the huge window allowed me to see for miles over the park and the surrounding city. The view from this height was breathtaking. A soft smile played upon my lips as thoughts of watching the sun rise through this window from the couch, arms and legs tangled around Edward, drifted into my mind. We would lie in each other's arms, content and sated, under the weight of a warm blanket and feel the first rays of the day upon our exposed skin. My mind then took a very different turn and I felt my dick harden further at the thought of pushing Edward up against the cold panes of glass and taking him in front of the whole city under the dark cloak of night. I groaned softly and palmed my dick over the thick fabric of my jeans, pushing my sensitive flesh away from the jagged teeth of the zipper. This wasn't helping me in my quest to give Edward some space and it certainly wasn't discouraging me from joining him in the shower and making us much later than we should be.

We had hung around Edward's apartment all afternoon, watching a couple of movies and eating cold pizza from his sub-zero fridge. That thing was the size of my full kitchen and when he'd asked me to grab a couple of beers from the back shelf I was afraid I might not make it out of there alive. I had loved kicking back in Edward's place, seeing him at home and in his own environment. The difference it had brought about in him was palpable; where before he had been slightly introverted and unsure, here he had quickly become confidant and cocky. He laughed and played, tickling my feet and the backs of my knees when I'd swung my legs up to rest over his. And he had initiated a deliciously heavy make out session by tackling me to the couch as I stretched the numbness out of my body brought on by back-to-back films and cuddling on the sofa. It had been a really fun afternoon and watching the lightness and mirth playing in Edward's eyes as we joked and laughed had made the whole day perfect. I imagined he hadn't had a lot of opportunity to let loose and have fun in his life; he hadn't had much of a childhood and had spent the whole of his adult life in school and working. I felt honored to be the one who could show him this fun and bring out his playfulness.

I knew from experience how freeing it felt to finally let loose a little bit in life. Until now, until Edward, I hadn't allowed myself to deviate from my goals of helping my family; I couldn't justify having fun just for the sake of it when I could be working and earning instead. Edward was bringing out a new side of me and it was a side that for the first time in a long time I was proud to show. I wasn't all seriousness and control, but joy and laughter. I liked that side. I liked that side of Edward too and already I couldn't wait to explore it further. We could help each other find the fun in life again.

With a small smile on my lips I turned to survey my surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of who Edward was before the bar. Before we met and he changed my life. Before. He had told me to make myself at home while shedding his clothes as he sauntered out of the room towards his shower, but I couldn't help but feel out of place within the pristine rooms. I didn't want to touch anything, in fear that the paint that seemed almost permanently etched onto my skin might rub off on the white surfaces of the sofas, the walls, the furniture, or the oil stains on my old work jeans dry, scab and fall to the flawless wooden floors. I moved slowly, intently, and kept my hands stuffed deep in my pockets.

The living room was huge; white walls and open floors. Bare. Edward either didn't spend a lot of time here or he had a very minimalist taste in furnishings. I couldn't decide which. The huge white sofas in the middle of the room were sharp and angular, as was the rest of the furniture. The open plan kitchen and dining room were much the same, all steel and white and black and clean.

Edward's home was the polar opposite of mine; clean and tidy - everything had it's place. It was bright where mine was dark and the massive glass wall let in floods and floods of daylight. The apartment was beautiful. And cold. The warmth of a home was nowhere to be found. The splashes of color normally found in art and framed memories were non-existent and the glimpses of Edward I was desperately trying to find were quite obviously missing.

Moving leisurely down the long hallway, my breathing hitched as I heard the spraying of water, louder now and much closer than in the living room, and a long low moan come from behind one of the closed doors. I guess I knew where the bathroom was. It took every ounce of willpower in my throbbing, needy body to ignore the throaty moan and continue on into the first room. Pulling back the heavy door I ducked my head inside and instantly knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

This room, Edward's office, held more of him than any other I'd seen so far. It was small and neat, but not as anally tidy as his other rooms seemed to be. A large, warm mahogany desk sat proudly at one side of the room, masculine and strong, just like Edward, I thought to myself as warmth flooded through me at thoughts of the man. The room smelled earthy and musky and warm, the scent of the wooden desk permeating the small space. It had a lingering scent of strong coffee and I could easily imagine Edward sitting behind his desk with his head buried in a medical text, perpetually lifting his black coffee to his lips. I groaned and tried to move along before my dick propelled me towards the bathroom and into the shower to press myself against Edward and trace the lines of his ink with my tongue.

I inhaled deeply and ran the pads of my fingers along the length of the desk. It was piled high with notebooks and journals, medical studies and files. A pair of black rimmed glasses lay across an open notebook and my dick twitched at the thought of Edward wearing them, a pen between his teeth and coffee on his breath. Christ.

His walls were lined with bookshelves, full to the brim with novels, medical texts, dictionaries and beautiful leather bound journals. I wondered briefly if they were filled with Edward's thoughts. What I wouldn't give to take a peek inside his mind; I had no doubt it would be exquisite. But I respected his privacy enough to move past them and trail my eyes over the other shelves. What I found there surprised me.

Having seen no other evidence of Edward's family elsewhere I was both surprised and intrigued to find one full shelf, dark and deep, filled entirely with elegant glass photo frames. Each one was a different size and each one held a different piece of Edward's family. His past. Cheery faces stared up at me from the pictures and my eyes were immediately drawn to that mop of crazy bronze hair and those bright green eyes. Edward, at maybe four or five years old, cheeks pink with laughter and exhilaration, looked alive and happy with his arm thrown over the shoulder of a tiny girl. Alice. I felt myself smile ruefully as I took in the picture before me. Her wild black hair was standing at all angles and the grin on her face rivalled that of her brother's. They were adorable and my heart clenched painfully at the memory of Edward's face as he spoke about her, crumpled and twisted with pain.

The same happy children were pictured with their parents; Edward's father had dark hair and his son's brilliant green eyes, clear and happy, and his mother had flowing copper hair and a warm smile. My heart ached at the thought of Edward losing these people so tragically. How had he survived it? That beautiful little boy had no one left to care for him and my mind raced at how anyone could have denied him. I wanted to reach into the picture and pull the boy into my arms to help him find the strength and comfort he would so definitely need. I would settle for holding the man he was now and offering what little peace I could.

My eyes found a picture of Edward and his dad, both of them sweaty and bright eyed holding their baseball gloves up in the air with their arms crossed behind each other and my sadness quickly gave way to a sharp pang of anger. I was shaken at the intensity of the rage that I felt towards Edward's dad and his treatment of his son. I could feel myself fiercely protective of Edward and I couldn't for the life of me understand how anyone, especially a father, could walk away from this beautiful boy at his greatest time of need.

I reached up to rub at the tension in my forehead as another picture caught my eye. Displayed proudly in the centre of the shelf, it showed the two of them with fishing hats on and a little rainbow trout held between them, pride on their faces at their catch of the day and smiles that reached their eyes. The obvious affection shared between them in the picture caused an aching in my heart. Edward had obviously loved his father and the adoration could be seen to be returned tenfold. He couldn't really have believed Edward was responsible for their deaths, could he? How could a man with so much love for his family blame a child for an accident? It made me sick with anger and had my heart once again aching with sorrow for him. There was more to this story, there had to be. There was more than even Edward knew.

"Jasper?" I heard Edward calling my name gently through the rooms and straightened up quickly. Suddenly I felt like I'd intruded on something very private and I was glad to have a few seconds to move away from the bookcase and across the room to lean back against the desk, my palms leaning on the wood behind me.

"In here," I answered in a gravelly voice I hardly recognized. I tried to shake off the residual anger in my veins and felt my shoulders relax as I took in a deep breath of clean air.

I raised my eyes as Edward entered the room, stopping in the doorway and leaning his shoulder against the frame. He was stuffing his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans and my eyes widened at the sight. The white t-shirt he wore showed off his inked arms and stretched perfectly across his broad shoulders and his hair was still damp from his shower. God, he looked incredible. I realized then that I'd only ever seen him in his suit and nothing at all, and while I certainly wouldn't complain if he decided to strip down again, I couldn't deny how amazing he looked dressed down for the bar. He looked strong and lean. Sexy. Powerful. Mine.

I coughed out as the thought entered my mind. Was he even mine? I hoped like hell he was. I slowly let my eyes drift from the top of his head, over his face, his chest and down to the bulging crotch of his pants and up again.

"I was just taking a look around." I smiled up at him only to watch him gulp at the double meaning in my words.

He didn't miss a beat though and took the opportunity to toy with me. "Oh yeah? See anything you like?" Edwards crooked smirk was teasing me and I crossed the room in seconds.

"Those glasses?" I tilted my head back to the desk as I placed my hands on his hips, pulling him into me and letting him feel my hard cock against his thigh. "I like those. I'd like to see you with them on your face and my dick in your mouth."

He groaned as I rolled my hips against his, showing him just how much I'd like to see that. Edward pushed me away by my chest, playfully slapping my ass as he turned me and directed me out of the study and along towards the front door.

"Shut up, Jasper." He laughed heartily and my smile grew as I watched him grab his coat and mine and pull me out into the hall and along towards the elevator. I didn't get it; what was so funny?

The rest of the night went great and for the first time since I'd started working at Al's six months ago I enjoyed my work. We grabbed a cab since we could just walk home to my place afterwards and I stashed Edward's overnight bag behind the bar as he sat on a stool at the corner. The band was good, old bluesy rock that everyone seemed to love. The music was loud, the customers were in pretty good spirits, tipping generously, and the view from behind the bar of Edward in his white shirt, all dark ink and light muscles, was incredible. Yeah, work was good tonight.

I stuck to working at the opposite end of the bar from Edward in a futile attempt to not be distracted, but I still felt my eyes trailing over to where he sat, watching the band and the people around him, smiling to himself and tapping his fingers in time with the music. Edward seemed to be enjoying himself; he watched the band intently and I could tell that he was appreciating the music and savoring the atmosphere they brought with them. His lips would turn up into a small smile as he watched the guitarist pluck away at his strings and the bassist pick up his harmonies and I reminded myself to talk to him about music later. As I worked diligently through the night my eyes kept flicking back to Edward and more often than not would be met by emerald green, already watching me intently. His eyes would drop as if he were embarrassed but it was an incredible feeling to know that out of everyone in the bar he wanted me. Maybe as much as I wanted him.

That isn't to say that I felt completely comfortable as I took note of the competition; girls and guys approached him regularly and I watched with a piqued interest as he smiled politely at them and offered a few words before they moved on. He would blush sometimes as they leaned in closer to talk into his ear and my jealousy would erupt within me only to calm when he would shake his head and his eyes would flash over to mine.

I tried my best to ignore James, but he continued to keep me on edge; whispering lewd thoughts as I squeezed past him to get fresh glasses, touching me with feather-light motions at every opportunity, grazing my hand as he passed me a bottle or touching my arm as he reached around me. He was emphasizing every eye-fucking and arm stroking for Edward's benefit and if the ferocious look in his eye as he watched James touch me was any indication, Edward wasn't pleased.

About halfway through the night, as I was hauling up a couple of new kegs from the basement, I looked over to see James talking quietly with Edward. I immediately saw red and dumped the barrels on the floor, fisting my hands and clenching my jaw at even the sight of that asshole near my man. I wiped the sweat from my brow with the hem of my grey shirt and took a few deep breaths before I decided against storming up to Edward and pissing on his leg to mark my territory. Edward was a big boy and I had no doubt that he could handle that dick by himself. I leaned against the back of the bar, kicking closed the cellar door and watched the interaction. Edward looked absolutely furious. And sexier than any man I had ever seen before. I felt myself harden as he looked over at me with a fire in his eyes and I wondered exactly what was being said to cause such a reaction in him. James looked over at me with a smirk and a wink and moved away from Edward to serve a couple of customers. I could feel my anger boiling under the surface of my skin and took a deep breath to control it. I hadn't felt this worked up in so long and it felt good to be passionate about something again. I took a quick second to raise my eyebrows at Edward who simply shook his head minutely in return. I couldn't wait till the end of my shift to see what that was about.

The night was long and we didn't leave until well after two, but Edward was a good sport about it. He'd stopped drinking at his apartment and was starting to look pretty tired by the time we got ready to head out. I was wide awake; the shifts I worked at Al's had turned me into a bit of a night owl but Edward was on call early the next morning and really needed to get his rest. He had chatted politely with the guys in the band as I closed the bar and got ready to leave but I could tell he was a little uncomfortable around all these new people. It made my heart beat wildly in my chest as I remembered how comfortable he had been with me from the start.

I tossed him his bag and he slung it up over his shoulder, pulling his coat tight around himself. When he reached down and pulled my hand into his, locking our palms together tightly on our way out the door, it caught me by surprise and I felt myself grin at the simple act, proof that he wasn't ashamed to be seen with me this way in public. I didn't realize until then how important to me it was that he was comfortable with showing his affection around others. It wouldn't have been a deal breaker for me - I couldn't imagine much that would with Edward - but it sure as hell would have killed me to keep my hands to myself any time we were out of our apartments.

"Did you have a good time tonight, baby?" I asked him as we started walking home from the bar, relishing in the closeness of our bodies as we kept pace with one another. His eyes lit up at the endearment and I made a note to call him that more often.

"Yeah, it was really fun. The band was great. Have you heard them before?" He gushed quickly and I knew I'd made the right decision in inviting him to come with me tonight.

"They play once every couple of weeks at Al's, I'll let you know next time they're on and maybe I can get the night off to enjoy it with you." I squeezed his fingers gently and he shot me a beautiful smile before pulling both of our hands into his jacket pocket and out of the freezing air. "Is this OK?" I asked quietly, nodding to ours hands and clutching his fingers more tightly to show him what I meant.

"Of course it is. I fucking love touching you, Jasper. Why wouldn't it be?" He looked confused and I rushed to clarify.

"At breakfast this morning, you...uh...you looked embarrassed when the waitress noticed us? I just don't want to push you."

"Fuck no, Jasper. I'm not embarrassed to be with you. I'm fucking proud to be seen with you. All those guys at the bar that wanted a piece of you and all I could think was that it was me you were taking home tonight. I know how fucking lucky that makes me." I scoffed at the thought of guys wanting a piece of me. All eyes were on him. All night. But I couldn't help the relieved grin that pulled at my lips.

"I...uh...I blushed at the diner because seconds before the waitress came over I was thinking about pushing you over the table and licking you from head to toe. She didn't know how to react to us holding hands, I think we would have given her a fucking heart attack if I'd followed through. I hate my fucking blush, I can't have a single fucking secret."

His grumbling was so adorable and I couldn't hold back the words that spilled from my lips. "I love it."

Before I could even get my bearings I was being pushed back against the building we were walking by, Edward's hands at either side of my head, caging me in, and his lips at my ear.

"I want the world to know that you chose me, Jasper. You're already the best fucking part of me." I wanted to contradict him, to tell him every part of him was his best part. His loving, compassionate heart. His strong, brilliant mind. His drive within himself to do better, to be better. His courage. His dedication. But I was silenced by the force of his soft mouth covering mine in a searing kiss. His tongue licked slowly along the seam of my lips and I willingly opened my mouth to him, sighing when I felt his tongue against my own. My hands fisted themselves in the back of his jacket before moving underneath the fabric and running along the scorching hot skin of the small of his back. He gasped sharply at the coldness of my fingers, pulling away and chuckling softly.

"Let's go home." He panted, cheeks flushed with the passion of his kiss and the harsh cold air enveloping us. I couldn't think of anything better.

I cringed as I pulled him up the stairs towards my apartment, the cold concrete walls completely opposite to his own luxury hallways and bright elevators. The light on the landing outside my apartment popped and flashed alarmingly. I stopped at my front door, picking absent-mindedly at the scabbing paint and took a deep breath, fishing for my keys with my other hand.

"You sure you don't want to stay at your place tonight, baby?" Surely he'd prefer his clean, warm building to my shabby little place and I wanted to give him the option of us leaving if he wanted to.

"I like your apartment, Jasper. It's so...you." I cringed internally, messy and dirt cheap? Is that how I come across? Before I had time to wallow he continued. "Homey and warm. Inviting. Just fucking perfect."

My cheeks were flushed and aching with the size of the grin pulling at them. I tugged him inside and let the door close behind me, slowly turning and walking forward to press Edward's back against the door as I fisted my hands in the collar of his coat..

"Replay?" I asked, completely willing to re-enact the events of the first night I'd had him in this position. I dragged the zipper of his coat down slowly.

"Fuck, you know I want to." He emphasized his want with a roll of his hips against mine, pushing his hard cock into my thigh. He looked down slightly, looking apologetic. "But I'm beat. And I might have to head into the hospital pretty early tomorrow. You mind if we have a rain check and just head to bed?" He finished quietly.

I loosened my grip on his collar and lifted one hand to cup his chin, tilting his face upwards so his eyes met mine. They were sparkling, emerald green and held so much emotion. He looked uncertain, as if I only wanted him for sex and I wouldn't be interested if it wasn't an option. I had to show him how wrong he was but didn't want to scare him off with declarations of my feelings just yet, at least not until I'd figured them out for myself. I settled for simple and leaned in to kiss him softly, just for a second. Tenderly. Hoping that adoration and reassurance were obvious in each of my movements.

"Come on baby. Let's get to bed." I ran my hand down his arm and linked my finders with his. He let out a quiet sigh of relief and I smiled back at him as I led him towards the bedroom.

We went about getting ready for bed; Edward pulled a pair of sleep pants out of his bag and I threw a spare t-shirt towards him in case he got too cold through the night. I pulled on my own shirt and a pair of comfy shorts. Edward borrowed my toothbrush when he realized he'd left his at home and I pulled the comforter back and followed him under the covers as he snuggled into my pillows. I wrapped myself around him and we both sighed contentedly as his arms tightened around me, his head resting on my shoulder and his legs tangled around mine. His toes were freezing and I rubbed my feet against his in an attempt to warm them up as he laughed lightly at the feeling.

"Goodnight Jasper," I barely heard him mumble as his breathing evened out and his body became heavy against my own.

"Night, baby," I whispered back, snuggling closer to him and falling asleep within seconds. I was more at peace than I ever remember being and I had one of the best night's sleeps I've had in years.

I woke early the next day, rock hard and overheated. Carefully kicking back the comforter I opened my eyes to find the room still dim and Edward struggling against his own sheets. As I pulled them away from his body he let out a long sigh and continued to breath deeply. I smiled at being able to help him cool down but was stopped short when I noticed his shirt had ridden up through the night. The pale skin of the small of his back was covered by a thin sheen of sweat and my mouth watered at the image before me.

I couldn't stop myself; I moved carefully until I was straddling his thighs, keeping my weight off of him and my throbbing erection away from his heated flesh. Leaning down I licked at the hot skin of his back, relishing the salty, musky taste that made me groan into his flesh. Edward writhed softly in his sleep, his back arching towards my mouth subconsciously asking me to continue. Who was I to deny him? I nudged his shirt higher up his back with my nose and lapped at the skin I uncovered. My dick was aching with need but I ignored it and went about kissing and licking every inch of exposed skin I could find.

"Fucking hell, Jasper." Edward's breathy moan was thick with sleep and alerted me to the fact that he was now awake. I moved to kneel between his open thighs and pulled his body to kneel before me, raising his arms to allow me to lift off his t-shirt and suck softly at the skin of his neck. His breathing increased as he pushed backwards until his back was tight against my chest and he could feel my cock, hard and ready against his ass. Edward raised his hands to link his fingers in my hair and turned his head to find my lips. I allowed him to kiss and lick at my mouth before pushing him down onto his hands and knees and continuing my exploration of his back, running my tongue down his spine from the nape of his neck and moaning loudly when I felt the dimples above his ass with my tongue.

I moved back up his body, biting at the strong muscles of his shoulder gently and rocking my dick into his backside before easing away to pull his pants and boxers down over his hips. I left them around his thighs and kissed my way back down his strong back to find his firm cheeks waiting for my tongue and teeth. Jesus Christ, this boy would be the death of me; one nip at his ass and his moan had me just about cumming in my pants. I moved my body lower to lave each cheek with my mouth, licking and nipping softly, kissing my way across his body. Edward's breathing was coming out in ragged pants and his back was arching with my every touch, pushing his ass closer to me and encouraging me to keep going with my delicious torture.

Lifting both hands to his ass I squeezed him firmly, enjoying the pants and gasps coming from above me. I pulled my hands outwards, spreading his cheeks, and dipped my head to run my tongue down his crack. The moan I heard from Edward spurred me into action and I licked at the sweet skin of his hole, running my tongue around his entrance before dipping it carefully inside. He rocked his ass back against my face and I pushed my tongue further inside him. The taste of him was like nothing else and my head felt dizzy as I pulled my tongue back into my mouth, swallowing his taste, before pushing it roughly back into his entrance.

I watched entranced as Edward held his weight with one arm against my headboard and moved his other down to wrap his hand around his throbbing dick.

"Fuuuck, that feels fucking unbelievable Jasper." I smiled against his skin at the compliment, oblivious to anything other than this gorgeous man rocking his body against me. That's why I was so surprised to feel him pulling away from me and hissing under his breath. "Shit. Wait, stop. Shit."

I pulled back, completely confused, and watched as Edward leaned over to his bag and pulled out a vibrating, flashing beeper.

Fuck.

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. The response has been unbelievable. Thank you.**

**A bit of a belated thank you as well to OnTheTurningAway and PhilipaSunset for adding Sleeves to their communities. I really appreciate it so thanks a lot. And to the couple of authors who have taken the time to pm me offering their advice and insight, I appreciate every piece of advice you give me and try to take everything on board as much as I can; a massive thank you to you!**

**harrytwifan, my wonderful beta, thanks again for your continuing help and support. It's really been amazing working with you and getting to know you. Thanks for everything.**

**Keep the reviews coming and let me know what you thought of the boys in this chapter. Pretty please.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sleeves Chapter Nine**

EPOV

Waking up to the feeling of Jasper's tongue and lips moving languidly over the heated flesh of my back and neck was a heaven I couldn't even begin to describe. As he licked and sucked along lines only he could see I couldn't help but squeeze my eyes shut against the feeling. A flurry of fucking incredible sensations was rippling over my skin, causing me to gasp and groan and arch myself against him. Before I could even comprehend it I was on my hands and knees rocking my ass back into Jasper's face as he fucked me with his tongue and when I reached down, my weight braced on one arm against his headboard, and grabbed a hold of my aching dick, pumping once from base to tip, I thought I might fucking explode from the pleasure of it all. It felt incredible. Jasper made me feel incredible.

I could have cried at the agony of pulling away from Jasper as my beeper sounded in my bag across the floor. I shuddered at how cold it felt outside of the cozy bed, away from Jasper's warmth, and how fucking deplorable it was to drag on a pair of scrubs, lean over his soft, warm body and give him a light kiss on the mouth when all I wanted to do was fall to my knees and beg him to fuck me.

I bundled up against the freezing cold outside and jogged to the hospital. After leaving Jasper my morning went from bad to worse and I found myself in a sixteen hour surgery; my back aching, my eyes heavy and the world's worst case of fucking blue balls ever. Ignoring everything else, I shut out the outside world and went into Doctor mode; focused, conscientious, determined. I concentrated on my patient and worked my god damn hardest to give her the best care I could. Jasper may have changed the way I viewed some things, but I still felt the need to atone for the sins I'd committed. I would continue to work my ass off if it meant that my legacy in life was leaving behind health and happiness instead of the horror I'd witnessed.

Maggie's surgery went better than expected and as I lay on my back on the hard , unforgiving bed of the on call room I felt proud of myself. It was a feeling I wasn't used to. It was unusual for me to feel like I'd made any difference in the large scale of things, even after a successful surgery. I knew I'd helped one person but how many lives had I ruined before that? Today, however, I felt my face scrunch into a satisfied little smile and I chuckled at the absurdity of it. I felt as though I'd achieved something. I'd helped Maggie to live her life fully, without constant medication and medical intervention. She would go on to find a husband, raise a family, and these peoples lives' would be better for having Maggie as a part of it. I'd played a role in that and it felt really fucking gratifying to have done so.

Jasper had already made me second guess myself, the way I was living, just about my whole fucking belief system. I was doing good. I was working hard every day to help perfect strangers when I could have given in to the anger and depression I'd carried around with me. I could have taken it out on other people. I could have wallowed and done nothing with my life only to end up a fucking drunk like my father. But I was doing good. And it wasn't until this past weekend with Jasper, until he bared himself to me and gave me the courage to do the same, that I'd started to see that. He _was _changing my life.

I don't know how I managed it, I thought it was physically impossible, but I fell asleep on the hard mattress with a smile on my face. It didn't last long. I tossed and turned, already missing the feeling of strong, warm arms surrounding me and a heavy heartbeat pounding into my back as my legs tangled themselves around Jasper's. I missed his warm breath on my neck and his heavy sighs in my ears. I missed him.

Monday morning saw me up at the crack of dawn for a shift starting at six. I was buried under mountains of paperwork, half of which was relating to Peter's death and the hows and whys of the situation. My heart ached with every answer I gave, every time I defended my actions and every time I was presented with a new scenario. The what ifs that could have changed his whole life. Or death. Different outcomes to his emergency surgery that could have been if only I'd... Fuck. My head was throbbing by eight and when Carlisle ducked his head into my cramped office at nine I nearly fucking growled at him. I was in a terrible mood; tired, achy and fucking missing Jasper more than nothing else. I'd never been close enough to someone to actually miss them before. Sure I missed my Mom and Alice every fucking day, and even my Dad, but Jasper was different. I'd never fallen for someone before, never craved the company and comfort of a lover and a friend, and all of these feelings, these longing, aching feelings churning inside of me were fucking terrifying.

The piles of paperwork before me were dissipating slowly but the tedious work was allowing far too much time for my mind to wander free. I brought my hand up to take off my glasses and rub at my tired eyes, thinking back to the weekend I'd spent with Jasper. I'd felt lighter than I can remember since being a kid and for the first time in my adult life I was enjoying myself; laughing, playing, lazing around instead of working every second I had and it still not feeling like enough. It had been amazing. Liberating. Fun.

I was nervous to have Jasper in my apartment. It would be the first time I'd ever brought someone home whose opinion I actually cared about. Would he see me in the bland rooms and think I was vapid and lifeless, void of personality? I think I was before I met him. I knew my apartment was bare and unwelcoming, so fucking impersonal that it might as well be empty. I had spent so little time there over the years that I couldn't even be bothered decorating. I'd asked my realtor to have the place imitate the model apartment I'd seen. It did to a fucking tee. No color, no personal touches. Just space. It was cold and uninviting.

When I found Jasper in my office my heart had thundered in my chest. It was the one place that held pieces of me. Personality and memories. I spent hours upon hours in that office, and everything that meant something to me had somehow accumulated upon the shelves and walls of the one room. There were memories everywhere, my own taste in furniture and decoration and art. I wondered what Jasper had seen when he looked around. What had he thought of this room, those photos? I realized that I was more concerned with him seeing the lack of me in the rest of the apartment and coming to the wrong conclusions than him seeing the real me, bared and exposed, in this room. I didn't want to hide myself from him. I wanted him to know me.

With Jasper inside, my apartment felt warm and homey for the first time. His beautiful, sparkling eyes and his fucking affable presence had brought a warmth to everything he touched. When he stood in the middle of my white, cold living room he seemed to pull the rays of the sun inside with him. He made the place glow. When we watched movies from the sofa for hours I felt a peace settle over me and couldn't help but let my mind wander to thoughts of us doing this more often. I could see Jasper there, in his plaid pyjama pants with his golden curls, wild and messy from sleep, falling in his eyes, eating cereal and drinking OJ from the carton on a Sunday morning. The thought made my heart race, my cheeks flush and my dick fucking throb in my pants. I had pounced.

Seeing Jasper at work that night was amazing. The bar was packed, dim lights and sticky, clammy air, with bodies pressed together tightly in every available space. Jasper was confident in his role, friendly, witty and sharp. He kept the customers happy, joking and flirting harmlessly, and the difficult customers in check. He spoke to the patrons all night and seemed genuinely happy interacting with others.

Watching both men and women hit on him and seeing him brush off the advances with a small smile playing at his lips, knowing he only had eyes for me, had me fucking hard all night long. I had to keep my fingers tapping a beat on the bar all night just to give myself something to focus on other than my aching cock. It was all I could do to stay put on my stool and not get up and fucking grind myself against him. Or go insane. He had looked fucking incredible; his wavy hair was tucked behind his ears, that dimpled grin in place most of the night. He wore faded jeans that were covered in patches of paint and oil stains and a tight grey t-shirt that clung to his strong chest and arms and let his beautiful ink peek out. Fucking mouth-watering.

It was his own choice in clothing that gave me the confidence to dress down some. He wouldn't have known how big a deal it was for me. I kept my ink covered at all times. I hated showing my tattoos to the world and inviting their questions and assumptions on me and my ink ,so I kept them hidden. They were just for me to remember my past, my pain. But after seeing Jasper in his tight shirt, exposing his ink and letting the world see him without a second thought, I felt more confident and had pulled on a white t-shirt, leaving my arms bare. Exposed. I felt encouraged when I caught him glancing at my arms from time to time with a look of pure hunger in his eyes. He made me feel brave.

I felt confident sitting at the bar feeling Jasper's eyes on me. I was comfortable in the knowledge that we would be leaving together and let myself relax and enjoy the night. A few guys and girls had come over to talk to me but I'd just smiled and told them that I wasn't available. I wasn't interested in anyone other than the blonde behind the bar whose eyes would shine with emotion every time they fell upon my own. My heart skipped a fucking beat whenever our eyes met and my stomach would flip excitedly.

My stomach lurched when I looked up at one point during the night to see the other barman, James, approach me with a fresh glass of water. It was the guy that Jasper had saved me from the first night we met and I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as he slid the glass towards me and leaned into my ear with a sneer on his face. His sandy hair now paled in comparison with Jasper's golden curls and his dark eyes looked sinister instead of alluring like I had initially thought. My blood fucking boiled when he whispered in my ear and I had to clench my fists to keep from fucking ending him right there.

I groaned at the memory and tried to shake off the fury I still felt, pushing all thoughts of James out of my mind. There was no use getting worked up about it when I was stuck behind a fucking desk. I wouldn't let that prick get to me. Stretching my arms up over my head, I felt my back pop satisfyingly. I needed a break from this paperwork and was getting cabin fever in this fucking hole of an office; dark and cramped, grey walls and old, worn carpeting had me desperate for some space to breathe. Moving cautiously, my body aching from standing so long yesterday, I walked to the window to look out on the dreary day. The view wasn't much - a parking lot and a few streets beyond. The day was dull and grey, the sky heavy with imminent rain, but it was a reprieve from staring at the four walls of this room.

Thinking I'd grab a coffee on the way I figured I'd drop in on Carlisle and apologize for being a dick this morning before losing myself in my work again. Carlisle was the chief of surgery at the hospital and had pretty much been my mentor since I started here four years ago. He was my resident when I'd first moved here after med school and we'd grown close over the years. He had always been there for me. Always supportive and always pushing me to better myself, he never let me wallow when things didn't go right.

Carlisle didn't know about my past but knew I didn't have a family and apparently that was enough for him to take me under his wing. I still cringed every time he called me son and tried to shrug off his praise and gratitude at my work. I was undeserving.

I looked up to him. He was an amazing doctor, not detached and indifferent like a lot of the surgeons I'd come across, but caring and involved with his patients. I wanted to be like him and strived to follow his lead when it came to the care of my own patients. I made sure to learn the name and as much information as I could about every person I operated on. Whenever possible I would meet them before their surgery, offering them a friendly ear and much needed reassurance, and I would always catch up with them during their after care. It helped me see the difference I was making in their lives. It really helped me.

I picked up a couple of black coffees at the shitty little vending machine in the hallway before knocking on Carlisle's office door and placing my peace offering on his desk. He glanced up from his computer, chuckling softly and raising a dubious eyebrow at me.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" He smirked. He was really going to drag this fucking apology out of me.

"Yeah, yeah. I fucking get it. I'm an asshole. Sorry, Carlisle." I grumbled, not looking him in the eye, desperate to get it over and done with.

"What's up with you son? Is it Peter Robertson's case investigation?" He sat up straight, closing his laptop and folding his long fingers beneath his chin. This was the Chief of Surgery persona. The mentor. The teacher.

"No. Not exactly." I sighed and slid into one of the chairs facing him. My mind was full of Jasper. And Peter. And everything.

I hated how guilty I felt over Peter's death; I knew I'd done everything I could but these fucking investigations made you second guess every move you made. Every decision you knew was the right one. At the same time my whole body felt like it was burning to be close to Jasper again, my skin itched to be against his and my fingers tingled, desperate to be wrapped around his work-calloused palms. I couldn't get my head around everything and was grateful for Carlisle's friendly ear.

"I know I did my best with Peter." I raised my head from my palms, to meet his eyes; warm, blue, concerned and kind. "But what if my best wasn't good enough?" I hated that this fucking backwards system was making me doubt myself. I didn't realize how much I needed reassurance on this until Carlisle offered it.

"I've looked over every note made during that surgery, Edward. I knew you would feel this way so I went over everything." He moved gracefully to the chair by my side, letting his hand lay reassuringly on my shoulder, he squeezed gently as my eyes began to burn. "You did everything you should have. I wouldn't have done anything differently had I been the surgeon on call that morning. You were perfect, son."

He ducked his head ever so slightly and found my eyes with his own. I could feel the few hot tears of my sorrow and guilt trail down my cheeks and drip off the end of my chin. My heart felt heavy in my chest and I gratefully accepted the gentle comfort of the embrace Carlisle offered.

He gave me exactly what I needed as he began to talk through the surgery with me, questioning why I chose to take certain measures and reassuring that they were correct and approved in each instance. I felt a weight off my chest when our coffee was cold and every angle had been examined. I stood, scrubbing my face with the palms of my hands and prepared to leave. I would grab some lunch, return to my office and work with a whole new attitude. I couldn't be more thankful to Carlisle and pulled him into a tight hug as I headed towards his door.

"What else was on your mind Edward?" He stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

I couldn't help the heat that flared over my cheeks as I thought back to my weekend with Jasper. My heart pounded painfully in my chest and my fingers fidgeted in my pockets.

"I met someone." Keep it simple. I didn't' even know if I'd be seeing this someone again. And my stomach rolled uncomfortably at the thought. Fuck, I missed him. How was it possible to be so attached to someone after only a matter of days together?

Carlisle seemed to sense the storm brewing in me and chose to let me be. I'm sure after my semi-breakdown he'd had more than enough of my fucking emotions for one day.

"Say no more; I know that look." He smirked good naturedly at me. "You're love sick."

He pushed by me and made his way out of the office, his deep laughter still mocking me as he turned the corner of the hallway. Love sick? What the fuck had that meant? I wasn't in love with Jasper. Was I? I jogged to catch up with him and could honestly say that I couldn't remember a single fucking thing that happened over lunch.

The rest of my afternoon dragged; every minute a minute longer since I'd seen Jasper, every second causing me to miss him more. As I readied myself to head home for the day I realized I hadn't even gotten Jasper's phone number. I cursed myself for being so fucking stupid and resolved to stop by after my shift and catch him before he left for work. I packed up my stuff and headed to the locker room for a quick shower and a change of clothes, keeping my head low and ignoring the flirty whispers from the nurse's station and the booming laughter from the staff room. I wanted nothing to do with either.

Groaning to myself, I reached up to scrub my hands over my face under the scalding hot water, enjoying the feeling of rinsing the day's work down the drain and relishing in the fact that I had the evening off. It had never been an issue with me before but I wondered now how my working hours and unusual shift patterns would affect what time I had with Jasper. I knew my colleagues struggled to balance work with their social lives and I'd heard Carlisle on more than one occasion lamenting how hard it was to spend quality time with his wife, Esme, and work all the hours he was required to.

I could work twenty hour shifts at times, eating, sleeping and practically living at the hospital. My working hours were random and agonizing and I wondered if Jasper would be prepared to work around them for me. I would suffer exhaustion and starvation if it meant that I could spend more time with him, but would he get bored of waiting around for me? Having a part-time boyfriend? Fuck, did he even want a boyfriend at all?

I jogged steadily to Jasper's place, the freezing cold rain having finally broken through the heavy clouds, pouring down around me. I was panting and wheezing as I slowed to climb the stairs to his apartment, soaked to the bone and shivering. My nerves were growing exponentially the closer I got to his front door. Was I stepping over a line by showing up at his door in the middle of the day without calling? Would he even want to see me? Maybe this was just a weekend thing to him, a quick fling to get it out of his system and move on?

I thought back to all we'd said and done in our short time together and I couldn't make myself believe that this was anything short of the real thing for Jasper too. He'd been affectionate and open towards me, caring and sweet. Before I could talk myself out of it I was pounding on his door, my arms raised by my head and braced on the frame, my chest heaving with exertion and anticipation.

The door groaned as it swung open hastily and my breath caught in my throat as I raked my eyes over Jasper's form, his chest bare and glistening in a light sheen of sweat, his jeans slung low on his hips and his hands and arms covered in the black dust of charcoal. He jerked the door open with a huff of annoyance and my heart sank into my stomach. I shouldn't have come. His eyes were screwed shut tightly and the blackened fingers of his left hand were working at the tension in his neck, rubbing soothing circles there as he tried to regain his composure.

"I, uh, I'm sorry Jasper. I shouldn't have come." I murmured quietly as I dropped my head to hang between my shoulders.

Jasper's eyes snapped open at the sound of my voice and a look of pure confusion passed through them. They were wide with shock but softened quickly as he took in my form, still braced and leaning against his door frame. Still shivering and wet. And still fucking nervous as all hell and unsure of what to even do. Did I have the strength to walk away now? Or would I drop to the floor at his knees and beg him to give me more time?

"Edward?" he breathed in question, relief saturating his voice. A beautiful smile tugged at his lips and his dimples found their place on his cheeks. I was pulled into his apartment and before I knew it being crushed against his chest.

I sighed as my whole body relaxed now that I was finally in his arms again. The door was pushed shut behind me and I relished the feeling of his strong back under my hands and the scent of the soft skin of his throat as I ducked my head into his neck.

"I'm sorry baby; I didn't think it was you. I've been going out of my mind all day and I finally got into my work when I heard the door. I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd come back." Jasper was mumbling rapidly into my shoulder, his strong hands moving to my shoulders, my throat, my jaw, and tilting my face upwards to place his full lips against mine. "Goddamnit, I've missed you." He moaned into my mouth as I parted my lips and ran my tongue along the seam of his.

My hands moved to shrug off my soaking coat and pull my shirt over my head, wet and cold, fucking desperate to feel Jasper's hot flesh against my own. When our chests finally met and the slick skin of his stomach slid against mine I pulled away from his mouth to groan loudly, gasping and panting for breath. The feeling was exquisite; I knew then that I would never tire of this man. I would never get enough of his hands and his lips and his body. I would never stop begging for more. My dick was rock hard and pulsing with every lap of Jasper's tongue against my jaw. His teeth were nipping and his hands were kneading the flesh of my back and I was fucking desperate for him.

"Ugh, fuck, Jasper. I've missed you," I moaned into his shoulder as I worked my teeth and lips over the flesh and muscle there, biting down gently and soothing the tiny pain with soft kisses and long licks. "So fucking much."

Jasper's hands moved down my body with precision and his mouth attacked mine again with fervor. His nimble fingers were playing with my nipples, tugging and rolling them deliciously and I couldn't fucking breath through the unbelievable pleasure of it. I pulled his tongue into my mouth and sucked gently, loving the sounds I was eliciting from him, and rolled my hips against his. I could feel his cock, huge and heavy against my thigh and the thought of him pounding it into me made my eyes rolls back in my head.

I broke away from his mouth and looked down to his hands that were now fumbling with the button and zipper of my jeans. My nipples and abdomen were covered in charcoal, black and grey streaks showing where his talented hands had been and making their own art over the lines of my tattoos. It was the most erotic thing I'd ever seen and I wanted to be covered in his art, to wear him every day on my skin and remind myself of this moment.

Stepping out of my jeans and boxer briefs when Jasper had pulled them down my legs, my hands braced on Jasper's shoulders for support as he lifted my feet and pulled off my socks and shoes one at a time, kissing the arch of each as he finished. That tender act, such a small thing that showed just how much he cared, had me stopping for a second, fighting to calm my pounding heart, and really appreciating the man on his knees before me. He was perfect, staring up into my eyes with such openness and adoration as he took my dick between his lips and ran his tongue around the head. My knees felt weak and my cold skin was flushing quickly, gaining a heat only Jasper could provide.

He bobbed his head expertly, taking most of my cock down his throat before pulling back slowly and sucking his way back up. My head felt fuzzy and I closed my eyes to regain my composure, tangling my fingers in his soft hair and trying desperately to keep my hips from thrusting wildly. I could feel my stomach muscles contracting and my balls begin tingling as Jasper took my dick into his throat again and again. I was a moaning, gasping, panting mess as I let my head fall back against the door behind me with a loud thud.

Loosening the grip I had on his hair, I pushed Jasper's shoulders gently away until he released me with a pop. Sensing that I wasn't ready to cum yet, that I needed him to fill me and make me his before I gave in, Jasper raised from his knees, kissing his way up my hip bones, stomach and chest before placing his mouth over mine. Sucking at his lips, I could taste myself on him, salty and musky. I moaned at the taste and watched Jasper take a step back from me, fishing a small bottle from his back pocket and dropping his jeans, sliding them over to the pile of my clothes by the wall.

The atmosphere in his hallway was thick, our body heat and sweat mingling in the air. My heart was thundering and both of our chests were heaving as we gulped in air. We watched each other like this, standing no more than a foot apart, glistening, naked and needy, for what seemed like hours. I didn't feel embarrassed. I didn't feel exposed. I felt completely at ease with Jasper. His eyes would roam over my body, lingering on my chest, or abs, or straining dick, but would always come back to my eyes. I took the opportunity to map his body, from his angular, beautiful face to his perfect pierced nipples and his long, muscular legs. He was magnificent. I watched as beads of sweat dripped from his neck, down to his chest and stomach and gulped when my eyes lingered on his cock. He was hard and thick. The balls of his piercing catching and holding my gaze as he twitched with need.. Absolutely flawless.

There was a quiet understanding between us; we were both taking the moment to appreciate what we had missed. There was a lull in the lust filled craze that had taken over us, where we each took stock of what was before us. The moment lingered, as did our eyes, before we began to move together. When our eyes met again, ocean blue to emerald green, the hunger and lust between us was tangible. Closing the distance, we each raised our arms to wrap around the other, Jasper's hands going to my ass and squeezing me firmly, my own hands tightening in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Our mouths met with a renewed passion and our tongues danced erotically as our hands roamed our bodies. Jasper's grip on my ass tightened and I felt the hard wood of the door press against my back as I was lifted off the floor and found myself in Jasper's strong arms, my legs wrapped securely around his waist. I wasn't light, only ten or fifteen pounds less than Jasper, and his muscles were straining as he held me up against the door. As soon as I was comfortable though, one of his arms left me to travel down and under my body to run his fingers over my entrance.

The feeling was divine and when Jasper pushed first one, then two coated fingers inside me, stretching and pumping gently, it had me rocking against his hand and growling from deep in my chest. It felt incredible and I pulled his mouth back to mine to lavish him with kisses, deep and sensuous, our tongues pulsing in time with his fingers in my ass.

"I don't have a condom." Jasper panted when we both knew I was ready for him, stretched and slick with the lube from his fingers, the bottle now abandoned on the floor. His voice was strained and he looked as though it would pain him to pull away now. "I'm clean, I promise you, but if you'd rather not then that's OK baby."

My stomach clenched at the thought of feeling Jasper inside me with no barrier. I hadn't gone bareback with anyone before; I'd never taken the risk. But with Jasper it didn't feel like a risk. It felt natural to want to have him so close. I couldn't deny that the thought made me harder than I've ever been. When I nodded vigorously and let out a choked 'Fuck, yes Jasper' and my own vow that I, too, was clean, his eyes shone with a fire I hadn't seen before.

We both understood the trust we were putting in each other with this act but it made me feel so fucking honored to have this part of him. The feeling as he pushed inside me, hot flesh surrounding hot flesh, was indescribable. His eyes bore into mine as he flexed his hips and pulled out of me before slamming back in. He fucked me hard and fast as I arched into him, licking and sucking at his mouth when I could reach. His legs shook beneath him and the strain was evident on his face but he didn't falter once, his dick thrusting up into me, hitting my prostate time and time again in perfect rhythm. Jasper's body had me pinned against the door and every thrust had my dick rubbing against his hard stomach. It wasn't long before I felt myself getting close.

"You feel fucking amazing, Jasper. I'm so close." I whispered in his ear as I rocked down onto him. "I can't wait to feel you cum inside me. And when you're dripping down my legs later, I'll think of you and remember this as the best fuck of my life."

Jasper groaned loudly at my words, biting down into my shoulder and thrusting more quickly up into me. The sharp pain from his bite sent me over the edge and I roared out as I came hard, in thick, warm spurts, all over us.

"Jesus Christ, Edward." Jasper moaned loudly as he stilled and came inside me. I could feel the warmth of his seed spreading and fucking whimpered at the feeling. He was still whispering my name like a litany as he pulled out of me and set me to my feet. He leaned heavily against me and I gratefully held his weight as he caught his breath. I pulled him close against my side and walked him along the corridor and towards his bathroom where I started the shower and pulled him under with me.

We washed the cum and charcoal off each other quietly and I groaned softly when I did feel his cum slipping down the insides of my thighs. Jasper just knelt before me and ran a wash cloth gently over my ass and down my legs. His tender touches were warming my heart and I sighed contentedly as we kissed and touched softly.

"That was amazing." Jasper chuckled as he stood behind me, washing my hair. "I really have been going crazy without you today. I've been trying to work all day but just couldn't get into it and when I did eventually find my flow I couldn't believe it when I was interrupted. I was so god damn pissed."

He kissed the back of my neck when he'd rinsed the shampoo out of my hair and I laughed along with him, turning to wash his hair and back delicately.

"What were you working on?" I asked quietly, suddenly interested in learning about his art.

"Uhm, a charcoal piece. Obviously." He stammered and blushed beautifully; I could see the back of his neck and the tips of his ears turning pink. I felt my dick harden slightly and willed it to calm down.

"What were you drawing?" What would have him blushing and stuttering?

"You." Oh.

"Will you show me?" I asked, intrigued now and desperate to see his interpretation of me.

"Of course, baby." He hummed. I smiled at the term of endearment and rinsed his hair and shoulders off before stepping out of the shower and grabbing us a couple of towels from the rail by the door. I handed one to Jasper and dried off my body quickly before wrapping the towel around my waist. Watching as Jasper did the same, spending a little more time on his hair then pulling the towel around him, I couldn't keep the smile off of my face. He caught my eyes and smiled brightly back at me before pulling me out of the bathroom and into his bedroom where an easel was set up by the window.

His bed was unmade and his room was messy with clothes piled in the corners and art supplies spread out everywhere. I loved it. It was a far cry from my house, used so little that it was always clean and tidy. Jasper's place was lived in and warm. It was perfect and I never wanted to leave.

"I'm really glad you came over today." He said over his shoulder, leading me to the easel and stepping aside.

My eyes took a second to figure out what he had been drawing; long smooth lines and beautiful curves covered the page in smudgy blacks and greys. It was the arch of my back that he had been drawing and my breath caught in my throat at the beauty he saw in me. The lines were fluid and strong. His representation of me, even just a small piece of me, was heart warming.

"It's beautiful, Jasper." I professed. It really was so beautiful. He had made me beautiful.

"It's not finished yet." He whispered, his cheeks flushed from my praise. " Can I draw you?" His voice was quiet and uncertain.

I couldn't even speak. I looked into his eyes before I leaned forward and grazed his lips with my own. I moved to the bed, dropping my towel on the way and climbed onto it. Looking back over my shoulder I caught Jasper's eyes, hungry and full of adoration for me.

"Where do you want me?"

**I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. Every one of you mean the world to me. Thank you so much.**

**Harrytwifan, the Great Lube Dilemma of 2011 is solved. Hopefully. Thanks for all your help with this chapter and with everything. You're the best dirty penpal a girl could ask for!**

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**Same time next week?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sleeves Chapter 10**

JPOV

We stood under the cooling spray of my pathetically weak shower for the second time in as many hours. Watching Edward crawling onto my mattress and posing seductively, eyeing me over his shoulder, as I captured the aching beauty of his body on the easel before me was too much. The late afternoon sunlight, bright and crisp after the mornings rainfall, had filtered in through my open windows and a warm orange radiance had caused his hair to shine like fire and his pale skin to almost shimmer in the last of the daylight. I had to have him. Again. We had moaned and gasped, sliding and shuddering together as our orgasms crashed over us, more powerful than ever before. And after catching our breaths, tangled together, kissing and touching for what seemed like hours, we staggered to the bathroom together to clean up.

I held Edward close to me, trying to keep both of our too large bodies under the water, my arms around his back, lathering his strong muscles and kneading gently. He had posed on my bed, back arched, for over an hour and must have been aching from the awkward position, not to mention the way I'd moved inside of him, powerful and unrelenting. His murmurs of appreciation were close in my ear and as I moved my palms to his ass, cleansing and massaging gently, his sharp gasp echoed through the bathroom, bouncing off of the tile and mirror and sounding gloriously around us.

As we rid ourselves of the remnants of our afternoon, dusty charcoal and clinging cum, we chatted quietly, not wanting to shatter the peace of the quiet space around us.

"I've got to leave for work in a few hours." I reminded him gently, hating the thought of leaving him again so soon.

"And I have an early shift at the hospital tomorrow," he sighed, seeming as rueful as I did about parting. "I wish I could come with you, stay the night."

I nodded, pulling his body against mine and licking the droplets of water from his collarbone up the side of his neck. I sucked gently at his pulse point as it passed under my tongue and enjoyed the feeling of his chest heaving and his breath catching in his throat. He let out a strained moan that went directly to my cock and I couldn't help but moan too as I rubbed shamelessly against his thigh.

"Soon, baby. Soon we'll have all night together. I can't wait to fall asleep wrapped around you. And wake you up with my dick buried in your tight ass." I chuckled as Edward groaned wantonly. Running my tongue around the shell of his ear and giving a little nibble on his lobe I pulled my dick away from his heated flesh and shut off the shower.

"I'm working pretty much non-stop for the next few days." Edward's eyes were on mine, bright and beautiful. Anguished. We towelled off and pulled on some clothes. I dragged on an old t-shirt and some dark jeans for work, zipping a hoody up against the chill in the air.

"We'll figure it out." I promised. I ran the towel over my hair one last time, feeling it wild and messy but not bothering to do anything more with it. "I'm not going anywhere."

I turned to Edward and moved towards where he was sitting on the edge of my bed, a small smile playing at his lips as he watched me come closer and closer. As I stopped in front of him, his hands came up to rest on my hips, pulling me between his thighs. His head, damp hair smelling like my shampoo, came to rest against my chest and I took a second to appreciate the moment; peaceful, sure. I felt closer to Edward in that moment, both of us just content to be together, holding on tightly to each other, than I ever had with anyone before. The thought didn't scare me. It reassured me and when his arms circled my waist tighter I sighed in satisfaction.

My hands ran through his locks and I felt him exhale against me, spreading warmth through my body. My heart beat steadily in my chest, under his ear. Leaning down to place a kiss on Edward's temple I sighed as he squeezed me tightly before letting me go.

We moved around my small kitchen in sync, almost as though we'd been cooking together for years. I didn't have much in the way of food in my cupboards; a few eggs in the fridge and some cheese and ham meant omelets would have to do. Edward didn't seem to mind, although his stomach had been rumbling for the past 20 minutes. I chuckled as he blushed deeply every time it groaned. Adorable. I had always loved cooking. Since I'd been out on my own for so long I'd kind of been forced to teach myself. I couldn't survive on take out alone.

Edward on the other hand blanched when I asked him to whisk together a few eggs while I chopped the ham, grated the cheese and heated a pan. I laughed quietly to myself, not wanting to make him more uncomfortable and showed him exactly how to do it. The fact that I did this from behind, my arms around his and my dick nestled closely against his firm ass was really just a lovely bonus.

The concentration on his face at the basic task was priceless. Endearing but still pretty hilarious. His tongue peeked out from the corner of his mouth and his eyebrows furrowed over his piercing eyes as he worked the eggs together slowly. I must have let out a squeak of laughter because Edward's head popped up to mine and a slosh of eggs cascaded to the floor, barely missing his socked feet.

"What?" he asked indignantly.

"Nothing baby." I chuckled again. When he didn't immediately go back to work I realized he wasn't going to be appeased. "Haven't you ever scrambled eggs before? What do you eat at home?"

"I rarely eat at home." His tone was less teasing, more reflective and I immediately felt bad for making him close in on himself or whatever he was doing to cause those beautiful green eyes to darken in thought. "I'm hardly ever at home, Jasper. I've practically lived at that hospital since I started there. My apartment is somewhere I sleep. Shower. That's really about it."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to -"

"No. No, it's OK. It's just that being with you, seeing how you live your life, in the real world - working, painting, experiencing things outside of your work - it makes it all the more apparent that I don't have a fucking clue how to live mine. All I've ever done is worked."

"You don't have to be ashamed, baby." I dropped the block of cheese and grater I was holding and went to him. Placing my hands on his strong jaw, rubbing my thumbs over the dusting of stubble there, I lifted his face to mine. "That isn't all your life is now. You have me in it. If you want me?"

"Fuck, Jasper. I want you." Edward sighed a deep breath and lowered his lips to mine, pressing against them softly. Sweetly. "I don't even know how to cook, let alone do...this." He gestured between us with the hand that wasn't fisted in my shirt at my side.

"We'll figure it out together." I kissed him more deeply then, my heart feeling light at the knowledge that he wanted me in his life. That he wanted me at all. He never did anything to make me think otherwise but sometimes it just felt too good to believe. My fingers were trailing the skin at the edge of his shirt, his warm flesh goose-bumping at my touch, my lips parting to close over his full bottom one when the oil in the pan behind us starting hissing and popping.

Edward groaned at the same time as his stomach did and I laughed out as he pouted cutely at me. Placing a quick kiss on his cheek I moved to turn the heat down and finish the cheese before he starved to death.

"Back to those eggs, baby." I teased.

We ate quickly on my old couch, our legs pulled up and toes touching, tickling, as we sat at opposite ends talking about our week to come. I knew it'd be hard to work our schedules around each other but I'd never thought it would be days until we could even see each other again. My mood turned melancholy at the thought of sending Edward away, not able to see him for four more days. It sounded like a lifetime.

Placing my plate on the floor I leaned over and grabbed Edward's from his lap, doing the same with his. I crawled over his body to lay my head on his chest and wrap my arms around him as he sprawled out underneath me. The heavy beating of his heart was like a melody under my ear and I was soothed immediately as he brought his fingers up to trail through my hair and tickle at the nape of my neck. I was so damn tired; since Edward left two days ago I'd struggled to sleep, my bed feeling empty and too big and too cold without him in it. I rolled my eyes upward to see Edward close his gently, his mouth becoming slack and I wondered if he'd had the same problem. I doubted it instantly, he was probably just tired from working all morning.

"I have to go." I whispered, my voice full of regret. Edward shifted underneath me, startling awake as I moved to sit up. His face was crumpled with sleep, his eyes heavy and tired. "You should go home and get some rest."

Sitting up I watched him stretch his strong arms above his head, his shirt riding up to expose the toned muscles of his stomach to my hungry eyes. I looked away quickly, knowing if I didn't I would never find the power to leave.

"I, uh, haven't been sleeping well at my place." His voice was quiet, his cheeks tinged pink. I nodded for him to go on and his eyes dropped from my gaze. Shifting uncomfortably he cleared his throat. "You mind if I stay here for a few hours and get some sleep?" My heart beat loudly at his request. He was more comfortable here than his own home? In my tiny, crappy, messy apartment? Taking my silence as reluctance he went on. "I need to be at the hospital at 4am so I'd need to leave here by 2 to go home and get showered and changed. I'll leave everything as it is. I just... I'd feel closer to you."

He was vulnerable, asking for something that only I could give him, and coming home to my bed still warm and smelling of him would be incredible. Maybe I'd get more sleep that way too. I didn't want to make a big deal out of this so I nodded a quick 'of course' and smiled warmly at him. I really needed to get a move on or I'd be late for work and as much as I'd rather stay here with Edward I couldn't afford to miss a shift.

"I'll see you soon, OK?" I whispered against his lips as he leaned heavily against the wall beside my open door, his body weary and needing the support. He nodded sleepily and watched as I turned to leave. I was sure he'd be asleep before my feet even hit the pavement two stories below.

The bar was pretty quiet; it was a Monday night with no games on or bands to watch. James and I were using the time between customers to restock shelves and clean out the pumps and filters. I was trying my hardest to stay the hell away from him, avoiding making too much eye contact and only speaking to him when absolutely necessary. It didn't stop him from eye fucking me every ten seconds and I felt my skin crawl when I felt his eyes on me.

I was sitting at the end of the bar, jotting down our liquor orders for the next week when a giant paw clapped me on the shoulder and a booming voice sounded in my ear. The guy was a subtle as a bulldozer.

Smiling before I'd even raised my head I was glad to see Emmett for the first time in over a week.

"Jas, man. Where you been?" He settled his huge body on to a tiny stool beside me and threw a dimpled grin my way.

Emmett was a hulk of a man. He was built with huge rippling muscles and undeniable strength. His boyish face and happy smile were a complete contrast to the body that carried them. If you didn't know him, he was intimidating, daunting. But as soon as you got to know him you could tell he was nothing like that. He was gentle and tender. Loyal and carefree. His presence in my life had been invaluable when I first moved to the city to start my new life. We'd worked together in the first bar I'd found and formed a friendship that I'd relied on since the start. Emmett took me under his wing. He was a few years older than me and had lived in the city his whole life. He helped me find my first apartment when I was living out of a backpack in hostels for weeks. He was always the voice of optimism when I was getting down on myself and had always been there as a shoulder to cry on when I didn't have anyone else to turn to.

"Around." I shrugged non-committally. I knew he wouldn't settle for that as an answer but wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell him about Edward straight away. Would he approve? It shouldn't matter, but Em was someone whose respect I wanted to earn and whose approval I craved.

"Where the fuck you been hiding man? I haven't heard from you in days." His voice turned from curiosity to concern as I watched his face fall slightly. "Is everything OK with you?"

I couldn't let him think something was wrong when for the first time in my life everything felt right. Emmett had been spectator to too many of my meltdowns in the past to not share my happiness with him.

"Yeah, Em. Everything's great." I smiled sincerely at him, I'm sure my eyes were sparkling but he seemed unconvinced. He raised his eyebrows, obviously not expecting that from me. "I met someone. I'm with someone."

"What? Who? I just saw you last week and you didn't mention anyone."

"I met him on Thursday. Here." I kept my voice controlled, not wanting to sound petulant or defensive in any way. I was proud to be able to say I was with Edward. I shouldn't have to defend our relationship to anyone.

"And you're with him? Isn't that a bit quick, Jas?" The concern in his voice was overwhelming. Emmett had always had my back but I had to make him understand that he didn't have to worry when it came to Edward. "I don't want to see you getting hurt again." His voice quieted at the end, and his smile was all but gone now. Emmett was such a happy-go-lucky guy that it killed me a little bit to be the one to make him worry, to make him sombre.

"It's OK Emmett. Edward is.. Edward is different. He's real. It's real." I didn't know how else to explain it. My brows furrowed in thought as I brought my pen to my mouth, chewing absently and amazing myself at the certainty I felt when I thought about Edward and I. It _was _real. I knew it.

"I think this is a bad idea, man," Emmett sucked at the beer James had slid in front of him with a grateful nod in his direction. He turned to face me, putting one hand on my shoulder in a fatherly gesture that I both hated and craved from him. "You don't even know the guy, you met him four fucking days ago." He huffed, his eyes penetrating mine and narrowing slightly at whatever they found there.

I took a deep breath, not willing to let my anger at his inaccurate comment cause me to snap at him. We'd been friends too long and I wouldn't let myself jeopardize that.

"We know each other Emmett. He knows everything about me." I stressed the last part, trying to make him aware that Edward did indeed know _everything_ about me. Emmett knew about my dad and my obligations to my family. He knew how I'd hardly lived my life since moving here so I could look after them. He knew about the handful of guys I'd let get close to me only to leave when I couldn't give them the time or money or affection they needed. He knew me. And now Edward did too. "Don't make this less than it is. I wont let you man. This is fucking real."

With a heavy sigh Emmett's huge hand squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. He dropped his hand and took a long pull of his beer, taking a minute to let everything we'd said settle between us.

"When you met Rose, when did you know she was it for you?" I questioned softly. Rosalie was his weak point, he had been in love with her from the moment he saw her cleaning up in a pool game across the crowded bar. I knew I had him when he nodded his head, a small smile playing on his mouth, one dimple making an appearance. Then the other.

"OK, man. I get it." He sighed, resigned. "Just take it slow, I don't want to see you run into this cocks fucking blazing then end up getting hurt."

I nodded at him, glad he kind of got where I was coming from. They would have to meet sometime. He'd see it then. We were made for each other.

I served a few customers and cleaned up a bit, finished the orders and shot the shit with Emmett. We usually spoke every couple of days and before he left for the night I promised I'd be in touch with him soon.

With nobody else to talk to and only a handful of customers in the bar I was forced to converse with James. The leech was pawing at me and batting his eyelashes every chance he got until I told him to back the hell off. He acted offended and I could see the change in his eyes; light and teasing to cold, hard, angry.

"Do you think you'll be satisfied with that little pretty boy you paraded around in here? I bet he doesn't know the first thing to do with a cock like yours." His gaze fell to my crotch and I swear I felt my balls crawl back up into my body. The anger I'd restrained at Emmett earlier doubled, enraging me as this asshole dared to speak about _my_ Edward like that. James seemed oblivious to the anger bubbling up inside me and kept running his mouth of. "If you ever want a real man you'll know where to come. I've already told your little boyfriend about us." He finished with a smug grin.

I prowled over to him, slowly, deliberately. My heart was thundering in my chest, my blood pounding in my ears with the adrenaline coursing through me. I'd never felt so protective of someone in my life. Edward wasn't even here and I was willing to do anything to defend him. James gulped as he finally noticed the murder in my eyes, backing away to the corner of the bar as I approached him steadily.

"What the fuck did you say to him?" I spoke, my voice steady, calm, and dripping with threat.

James raised his head in challenge, looking me straight in the eyes as he whispered. "I only told him what good friends we are. How close we've always been." He was trying to sound seductive but every word from his mouth was like nails on a chalk board.

I continued to move towards him, only feet away now, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides, my body ready to pounce. I can't remember ever feeling this angry. I saw my dad once about six months after he up and left and even the rage I felt towards him paled in comparison to this. I wasn't an angry man; I was calm and level headed, but in the face of this creep, putting mine and Edward's relationship at risk, I was insane.

"If you ever so much as breathe in Edward's direction again, James, mark my words - I will end you. We are not friends. Fucking look at him the wrong way again and you'll see just how unfriendly I can be." My words were deadly, and I meant every single one of them. "Don't even say his name."

"Not a problem, Jasper," he whispered my name sickeningly. If he was rattled by my behavior he didn't show it. His calm was unnerving and I paused in my approach. "It's you I want. I'll get you eventually, as soon as your precious Edward sees his competition. I've seen the way he looks at you, he thinks you're too good for him." The sneer on his face was sadistic and cruel. "You are."

I lunged. My fist was raised, ready to slam hard into James' jaw but before I could make contact I was restrained, my arms pulled tightly behind my back. I struggled against the man's heavy grip and grunted in effort as I tried to break free. James smirked at me, leaning casually against the bar.

"Relax, baby." He mouthed soundlessly as I was dragged around the bar and pushed into one of the booths against the wall. The owner Al's old face was in my line of sight, his mouth moving, telling me to calm down, he wasn't worth it, calm down. But I couldn't hear for the blood pounding in my ears, the heaving breaths I was taking, the smoky air burning my lungs on every inhale.

My hands were shaking as I gulped at the ice cold water Al placed before me. My coherency was slowly coming back to me and the shame I felt weighed heavily in my stomach. What had I done? I'd let that prick get the better of me when I should have known better. I could have lost my job and where would that leave me then? Where would it leave my Momma? Shit.

"Go on home Jasper. I'll finish up here with James." Al spoke softly to me, I didn't deserve his sympathy. His understanding. "That guy's always looking for a fight."

I moved to leave, my eyes tired and an uncomfortable feeling settling in my gut. I was stopped with a gentle squeeze to my shoulder."Don't let him rile you up. You're better than that. You're a good kid."

Nodding, I grabbed my stuff and left. I was an idiot, I couldn't afford to lose my job now that it was the only one I had. I wouldn't let James get to me any more. I couldn't. Looking at my watch I smiled despite myself, noting it was only 1.20. Edward would still be in my bed and I could find comfort in his arms if only for half an hour before he left.

My smile fell as I opened the door to my bedroom and everything was wrong. The room was cold, the bed was empty and my sheets were neatly covering the spot where Edward should have been curled up. Not even taking off my clothes I slid under the sheets; they were still warm, smelling faintly of Edward, his musky, delicious scent filling my nose and slipping into my lungs. Rolling to get comfortable, seeking the last of the warmth, my hand hit a piece of paper where my head would have lain on my pillow.

_Jasper, I was called into work early. Fuck, I'm tired. Thanks for letting me stay, it was the best sleep I've had in days! Call me – 212-555-5289 Yours, Edward._

I fell asleep with the note in my hand and a serene smile on my face. When I awoke late the next day it was to thoughts of Edward. I wondered immediately how long he had been working, if he had his cell on him or would get a chance to check it through the day. I sent him a quick message, to let him know he was welcome in my bed any time and that I'd slept better last night than I had since Saturday.

The guilt from the previous night still sank under my skin, itching and irritating me. I couldn't shake it. I decided then and there that I wouldn't let James goad me into another reaction like that. I was so lucky that Al had taken a liking to me and had trusted me, and I wouldn't abuse his trust and risk my job. I would go to work and ignore every advance the bastard made. I wouldn't let him get to me.

The rest of the day was spent with my hands covered in paint and my easel covered in Edward. It was like he was my muse. I couldn't think of anything to paint until I gave in and just worked on decorating my canvas with the line of his jaw or the color of his eyes. With James off for a few days the next few nights at work went quickly and without incident. I apologized to Al for my behavior and assured him it would never happen again. His immediate trust in me and his whole hearted forgiveness washed me with guilt once again.

I missed Edward every day that passed with only a few sporadic text messages or a quick 'hello, hows your day going?' phone call. He sounded tired every evening he called and I didn't want to keep him from his rest so two minute catch ups were all I had. My bed didn't smell of him after the first night and I was restless and tossing and turning ceaselessly.

It had been three days since I'd seen Edward and this was my first night off from the bar this week. I was sprawled out on my bed, flicking a dry paintbrush with my fingers and counting the minutes until I could call Edward. I closed my eyes as I imagined his face above me; pink, pouty lips, bright eyes with just a hint of mischievousness. I could imagine his long body stretched out over mine, his heart beating steadily against my own, hips circling teasingly.

I felt myself harden and lengthen and unbuttoned my fly to give my dick a little more room. The confines of my jeans were uncomfortable so I lifted my hips and pushed them down slightly, my hard cock laying on my stomach, aching and weeping to be touched. I hadn't jacked off today and could feel the tension building the more I thought about Edward. I saw him moving down my body, flicking the steel in my nipples with his hot tongue as he wrapped his strong hand around my shaft. Groaning, I took myself in my hand and stroked firmly from the base of my cock upwards, running my thumb over my piercing and using my other hand to twirl the barbell slowly.

My hips were lifting off of my mattress, a sheen of sweat forming on my stomach where my t-shirt was pulled up to my ribs. My eyes were clenched tightly shut and I pumped myself firmly. Groaning quietly in the still room I moved one hand to fondle my balls. It felt goddamn amazing. As I was tugging gently, picking up speed and flashing through image after image of Edward in my mind, I startled as my phone buzzed quietly beside my head. Shit.

Praying to God it wasn't my Mama on the other end I checked the screen of my phone. My fist tightened around my cock momentarily before I released it and hit the button to answer. I took a deep breath, hoping my panting wouldn't be obvious and cleared my throat.

"Edward?" I held the phone away from my mouth so my heaving breaths would go unnoticed.

"Hey, Jasper. I just got home but I couldn't wait to call you." His voice was smooth and perfect in my ear. He sounded tired but that extra gravel in his voice just made him sound all the sexier. "I've fucking missed you."

"God, baby, I've missed you too." I was still catching my breath and panted into the receiver.

"What are you up to over there? Did I wake you?"

"No, I was just, uh, thinking about you." The heat in my cheeks came on fast but it didn't stop me from trailing my hand under my shirt and brushing the pad of my thumb over my nipple, feeling the bud harden under my touch. My dick was throbbing, precum leaking from my slit and dripping onto my stomach. I let out a small sigh as my thumb caught the steel of my nipple stud and sent a bolt of electricity through me.

"Fucking hell, Jasper. Were you jacking off?" His voice lowered and a small moan could be heard over the quiet crackling of static.

"Yeah." I chuckled, slightly embarrassed and completely turned on.

"Jesus, are you still touching yourself?" I could hear Edward settle onto something, the rustling of fabric around him. His couch? His bed?

I grunted out an affirmative as I moved my hand to squeeze the head of my cock, gathering the precum there and spreading it over my length. The heavy breathing on the other side of the line did nothing to convince me to do otherwise. "Where are you?" I ground out.

"On my bed. Fuck, Jasper. I've never done this before."

With a smile playing at my lips and my hand working over my cock I throbbed at the thought of Edward laying on his bed, getting off to the sound of my voice. "Strip down, Edward." I commanded.

I could hear him put the phone down, the rustling of fabric and the shifting of the mattress.

"I'm so fucking hard for you. I've missed your cock, Jasper."

I let out a long, low moan. He hadn't done this before? His husky voice had me moving my hand furiously up and down the length of my dick, my grip firm and my wrist twisting over the head with every pass. His words had my stomach clenching and my balls tingling.

"I've missed your sweet ass, baby. Are you touching yourself for me?"

I could already hear that he was. The sounds of skin on skin, slick and quick, were coming down the line. My own hand moved faster as I imagined Edward stroking his dick with abandon.

"Feels so fucking good." He ground out. His breaths were choppy and ragged. He sounded perfect.

I was getting close and I rolled to my side, trapping my phone between my ear and the pillow beneath me. My free hand went to my balls, pulling and rolling them between my fingers.

"Shit Edward, I'm gonna cum." My stomach was clenching and I was so close to falling off the edge. I just needed something to tip me over.

"I wish you were inside of me." Edward moaned loudly. "I wish I could feel you filling me and fucking pounding into me. My ass is begging for you, Jasper." His last word was strangled as he cried out my name. The sound of him getting off, crying out and cumming all over himself was the final push I needed. I came with a roar all over the sheets below me. White spurts dripped in strings to my mattress that pulled and broke when I rolled onto to my back.

"Fuck, Edward." I breathed after a minute. He was still panting heavily on the other end of the line.

He whispered a breathless 'shit', and I checked to see if he was OK.

"Fuck, yeah, I'm OK. That was so fucking hot, Jasper." He laughed gently. "I really have missed you. This week has been a fucking nightmare without you."

"You don't have to tell me twice, baby." I grumbled into the phone, pulling my shirt over my head to wipe at the drying cum on my stomach and side and kick my jeans off the rest of the way. "I feel like I haven't slept since you left."

"Me too. Do you think we're too dependant on each other? Already?" He asked quietly, sounding defeated. As if it was all too good to be true and would come crashing down around us at any second.

"No, baby. I don't." I was adamant. I needed him to hear the certainty in my voice. I'd thought a lot about what Emmett had said about us moving too fast and getting too close. But I felt it in my heart. Every beat was his name and every breath left me in search of him. "I think that this is right Edward. It's not necessarily a bad thing to be dependant on someone else. I know we've both been hurt but I'm not going to do anything to hurt you, baby. I swear it."

"I know." He whispered.

"We've both had people we trust abandon us but I'm not going anywhere. This just feels right."

"It really fucking does, huh?" We laughed together, breaking the soberness of the conversation.

"I told my best friend about you on Monday night." I wanted him to know that I was proud to call him mine. I wanted the world to know it.

"Yeah?" He sounded excited. Intrigued. "You told him you have a new boyfriend?"

The smile that covered my face made my cheeks ache it was so big. My boyfriend, shit, that sounded really good.

"I said I was with someone." I paused. "So, I can call you my boyfriend?" I think he could hear the smile in my voice because he laughed loudly into the phone, causing me to smile wider and chuckle lightly with him.

"Only if I can call you mine." He teased. I let out a hearty 'hell yes' and listened patiently as he moved around at the other end of the line. "I'm coming over."

**A couple of things to say this week, hope you guys don't mind.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I absolutely love hearing your thoughts, so keep 'em coming. They really do make my day!**

**Harrytwifan, I've had so much fun with you this week. Thank you so much for all your hard work and every awesome email you send. You're my smutty BFF for life now, girl. And I'm not sharing!**

**I've entered a couple of contests this week, there are some great stories so go and check them all out! And don't forget to vote for your faves when the time comes. You can see all of the amazing entries to the 'We Heart It' Contest and have a look at the picture prompts given at www . fanfiction . net /u/2718251/TwilightFicZoneContest and you can check out all the fab stories in the Quickie Contest at www . fanfiction . net /u/2773975/QuickieContest (just take out the spaces.)**

**Annnnnd, I finally got a Twitter account. Check out my profile for details of how to follow me.**

**See you all next week. Love.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sleeves Chapter Eleven**

EPOV

The days and weeks were flying by in a haze of peace and happiness that I hadn't even thought to dream of. Jasper and I went about our own every day lives but everything seemed different now; we went to work, I studied, he painted, we laughed a lot and touched and kissed, we spoke on the phone every day and spent every second together that our schedules would allow. We learned more about each other in every moment that passed, leaving us content and satisfied yet yearning for more, and we missed each other every night we spent apart. The fear of moving too fast, of blazing too impulsively and burning out before we even had a chance, lingered in me, faint but ever constant. That same fear was forgotten, cast aside, every time my heart burst to life when Jasper kissed me and every time it ached in my chest when we were apart. We might be intense together, excessive even, our sudden relationship might seem unrealistic and rushed, but with every fibre of my being, with every beat of my heart, I knew it was right.

When Jasper held me at the end of a hard day, my body weary and aching and my mind reeling, it felt right. When he called me late at night to say goodnight and I fell asleep to the sounds of his heavy breaths and sleep-slurred words, it felt right. When we laughed and teased, and argued our opinions playfully, it felt really fucking right. I finally had someone to trust, someone to turn to who wouldn't judge me or think any less of me when I was at my weakest, my most vulnerable. And I had found someone to listen to, someone to care for and support. Someone to hold and cherish. I suddenly found myself with something I had never even dreamed of having in my life. And as terrifying as it felt to let myself be vulnerable with someone and as daunting as it was to be depended on by Jasper, absolutely nothing about it felt wrong.

As much as we wanted to our schedules just wouldn't allow us to spend every night together and we ended up sleeping alone more often than not. I really fucking hated those nights. I would try to keep myself busy with reading and working, spending a lot of time at the hospital rather than my cold apartment, which felt infinitely more lonely, more empty, since Jasper had shown me how full it could be. My mind wandered to Jasper constantly, wondering what he was doing, if he was thinking of me , if he was having trouble sleeping too or if I was just overreacting. I missed the sounds of him moving beside me, breathing deeply and steadily, the feel of his fingers wrapped around my own and the warmth that spread over my body as he curled himself around me. I tossed and turned incessantly.

The days I spent without Jasper, when I wasn't working but had research, studying and paperwork to catch up on were long and drawn out, each second dragging painfully. I was getting fucking ridiculous, my heart leaping every time my cell beeped in my pocket or buzzed across my desk. I found myself rolling my eyes at my behavior all fucking day.

Sitting in my office trying to lose myself in an updated Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, my glasses sliding down my nose and a cup of scorching black coffee burning my fingers and tongue, I read and reread the same passage over and over. I was getting nowhere. I had a few days off to kill and was getting really fucking antsy about seeing Jasper again. It had been three days. Three fucking days was three days too long and I felt as though every inch of my skin was crawling, itching to be pressed against his. We had planned for me to head over to his apartment for breakfast tomorrow morning so we could spend the whole day together but time was fucking moving backwards. I had no idea how I was going to make it till tomorrow. Fuck.

Pushing back from my desk, the smell of worn leather and black coffee swirling around me as the chair creaked and groaned under my weight, I stretched my legs out and my arms up over my head, my spine cracking and popping loudly as I did. I pulled my coffee cup to my lips, relishing in the bitter taste and the burn on my tongue as I sipped slowly and let my mind wander to thoughts of Jasper. Again. His beautiful clear blue eyes filled my mind as I felt my own flutter closed and leaned back in my chair. His playful grin, dimpled and gorgeous, his chiselled jaw and the soft, warm flesh of his throat made me gulp, saliva pooling in my mouth.

In the past few weeks things had been forced to slow down a little, our schedules and different responsibilities conspiring against us. We had only had sex two or three more times and my balls and aching dick were incredibly aware of it. We fooled around every chance we got, seemingly unable to keep our hands and mouths to ourselves, but we hadn't had sex in over a week. I was so fucking needy for him. We hadn't been together that way since we got home from our first official date the previous Saturday. My eyelids fluttered and I felt a soft smile crawl across my lips and settle on my mouth as I remembered the evening Jasper had planned for me. It was romantic and sweet. Simple. Completely fucking perfect for just us.

Just thinking about how Jasper had felt moving inside me that night had me straining in my boxers, precum causing a dark patch to grow where my head rubbed against the soft fabric. My breathing picked up as I remembered how he'd kissed my lips so fucking softly as he held himself over me. His touches were sweet and tender and his bright eyes had never left mine, even as he came, stilling inside me and pulsing into the condom.

My eyes were closed tightly; I didn't want to see the room around me as my hand moved to stroke my hard cock through the thin fabric; I wanted to see Jasper, sweating and panting, writhing and thrusting into me, bringing me to orgasm as he bit down on my shoulder. I lifted my hips and pushed my boxers past my dick, the elastic sitting right behind my balls as I palmed the head firmly. I could feel the blood throbbing under my skin making my flesh hot to the touch; my cock felt heavy in my hands and I scooted lower in my chair, spreading my legs and allowing myself more room. Grasping the base, I was gasping with every firm stroke and could already feel my balls starting to tingle.

Behind my eyes, images of my beautiful Jasper were fleeting and enticing; standing at his easel looking at me with the hungriest eyes I've ever seen on a man, the feel of his tongue and lips as they traced over my back and down to the crack of my ass, sliding over my hole and pushing slowly inside me, his whole body aligning with mine as he shifted deeply within me with strong and deliberate movements. I fucking missed him and for a brief moment the melancholy of being alone distracted me and my rhythm faltered.

I picked up my speed, squeezing myself firmly and flicking my thumb to gather every drop of precum from my slit. I paused to pull up my t-shirt, tiny beads of sweat forming on my neck and chest, causing me to shiver as they met the cool air of the room. I focused intently on chasing my orgasm, panting and trembling as I got closer and closer to release. It seemed I needed one more thing, one perfect image or clearly recalled sound, to push me over the edge and send me spiralling into oblivion. My thoughts of Jasper turned from him moving within me to an image I'd held in my head since we'd met. I saw myself pushing slowly inside him, the thought alone of the tightness of his beautiful body enveloping me, squeezing me and pulsing around me, had me roaring out and cumming in warm spurts all over my stomach and chest.

"Jesus Christ," I panted as I caught my breath, still trembling from the force of my orgasm. I pulled my boxers up and over my limp dick and moved from my office chair, dragging my heavy body to the shower.

I dried myself off, running my fingers through my damp hair and dressed in black jeans and a plaid, flannel button down shirt, wanting to be as comfortable as possible. As I sat on my bed pulling my socks over my feet I wondered what the fuck I was going to do with my night now. It was almost nine, the world outside my window a dark navy blue. I could sit here all night, missing Jasper and wishing I could spend some time with him or I could man up and fucking do something about it. My stomach flipped excitedly as I grabbed my boots and my coat, wrapping my scarf around my neck and hastily pulling my door closed behind me as I left.

It was a Sunday night and I hoped Al's would be pretty quiet. I hoped Jasper wouldn't mind me turning up unannounced but I had a feeling he would be as happy to see me as I would to see him. The feeling of reassurance was something new altogether; of course I was still nervous that I would be stepping on his toes at work all night but I wasn't nervous about his reaction to seeing me. I didn't think he would be mad or upset with me. I was calm in the certainty that he would be fucking glad to see me. He wanted me. And it made my fucking head feel light and my stomach flutter to think about it. It made me fucking happy.

I thought more about that as I drove to the bar; my happiness. I can honestly say that since my mom and Alice were alive, since my dad and I were best friends and would do everything together, I hadn't been happy a single day in my life. When I finally left home and got away from the everyday abuse from my father I felt a small trace of relief. When I got my internship at the hospital and performed my first solo surgery successfully and with the praise of Carlisle, I felt a small sense of achievement. But not happiness. Never happiness.

When Jasper calls me baby, when he tells me he wants me and his eyes fucking shine with it, when he holds me tightly to him and I can feel the adoration he has for me seeping under my skin - I'm happy. I'll never be able to thank him enough for giving me this piece of myself back, for making me content for the first time in two decades.

As I walked through the heavy door of the bar with a smile on my face, my eyes scanned the room and I felt them widen when they fell upon Jasper. He was standing behind the bar, all black and blonde, laughing along with a huge guy and a tiny brunette. His eyes sparkled and I felt my whole body relax when I saw him. He looked so at ease, so comfortable in his surroundings, with these people. My smile grew as I moved closer to him, watching him lean heavily on his palms, smiling and chatting over the bar.

His focus was on his friends, it was plain to see these weren't just customers of his, and Jasper didn't notice as I slipped onto a stool at the side of the girl. Still smiling and half listening to their conversation, Jasper absentmindedly turned to greet me and his eyes widened immediately when they locked with mine. The grin that broke out on his face was almost comical and I was surprised the whole bar couldn't hear my heart pounding when it realized that grin was for me.

"Hey." I said simply, quietly and only for him to hear. I could feel my cheeks pinken at the intensity of his stare until he broke out of his trance with a blink and came quickly to stand before me. He leaned across the bar, not caring who could be watching, and wrapped his hand around my neck, pulling me close enough to him to feel his breath on my face. His eyes never strayed from mine and my breath caught in my throat. His scent washed over me, paralyzing me and pinning me to him.

"Hey, baby." His mouth was on mine before I could respond and the rest of the fucking world just melted away. His mouth only parted slightly, enough for him to place his top lip between mine and suck softly on my bottom lip. There was no tongue, no grinding, no wandering hands. Just his fingers around my neck and mine cupping his jaw. Just our lips pressing for a moment. Just enough.

He pulled away with a soft smile playing on his pink lips, his eyes opening slowly as he ran his hand down over my shoulder, along my arm to squeeze my fingers gently.

"I'm so glad you're here." And he was. His smile was radiant and his eyes were glowing. He meant every word he said.

A throat clearing beside us cut off my response and we turned our heads reluctantly from each other to be met with two pairs of curious eyes. The girl had a deep red blush staining her throat and chest. Her brown eyes flickered away from mine as soon as they met and dropped to the bar before her. The guy sitting next to her had his arms crossed in front of his chest, huge and bulging and a scrutinizing look on his face. He didn't look amused in the slightest and his steel gaze unwaveringly held mine.

"Knock it off, Em. Christ." Jasper slid to the side and punched the man square in his massive bicep. He barely even noticed, moving his eyes from mine to Jasper's. They seemed to have a silent conversation and I tried to give them their privacy. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the man nod curtly and Jasper heave a sigh of relief.

"Edward," my name rolled off of Jasper's tongue and had my dick twitching in my pants. "These are my best friends. Emmett and Bella." He moved back to stand in front of me, placing his hand over mine which was resting on the bar. "Guys, this is my Edward."

_My_ Edward. I had never been anyone's before. But he was right, I was his. Completely. My heart thrummed manically in my chest and I smiled up at him, hoping to relay exactly how much I was his. How much I wanted to always be his.

I drew my attention back to Bella and Emmett and offered my hand to each of them. "It's great to meet you guys." Bella took my hand, my palm engulfing her little fingers and smiled shyly up at me. I stood up from my stool to reach across to Emmett and his strong handshake left nothing to the imagination. He didn't like me. After barely grunting a hello at me he turned back to his beer and took a long pull.

Jasper squeezed my fingers, shaking his head and shrugging minutely at my questioning glance. He placed a beer in front of me and I gulped it down gratefully. Emmett's reaction had unnerved me. I wouldn't normally give a fuck what he thought of me but fuck if I didn't want Jasper's friends to like me. To accept me. Or at the very least to accept us.

"What're you doing here, baby?" Jasper asked me as he wiped at the bar with a rag. He smirked at me as he caught me staring at his arms and the way his muscles would move and flex with every flick of his wrist.

"I just missed you. I figured you wouldn't mind me hanging out if it was quiet, then we could head home together?" It probably sounded presumptuous to others but I knew that to Jasper it would sound perfect.

He nodded at my suggestion, obviously happy with the plan for the rest of the night, and started telling me a bit about Bella and her work as an elementary school teacher. She seemed to really love her work and was happy to chat to me about it while Jasper served a few drinks. She was friendly and warm, still shy but opening up more and more as we spoke. She really made me feel welcome and seemed to glow when I would ask her questions about her students and the subjects she taught. She also showed an interest in my work, although I didn't go into much detail. She was lovely.

Emmett listened to our conversation and would occasionally join in but he was pretty quiet for the most part. As the evening progressed, I was quite a few beers in and Jasper was back and forth between us and his work, and Emmett showed flashes of the real him. He would grin this huge smile, cute dimples and all, before catching himself and working to look pissed again. Or he would snicker at something Jasper or Bella had said until I started to laugh along with them. I worked hard to keep him in the conversation, sure if I could just get through to him that he would see I wasn't a bad guy. I just couldn't figure out what his problem was.

Jasper had been able to spend a lot of the night with us, only leaving for a few minutes at a time to serve a customer or tidy up a bit. The bar was quiet and I was glad to have been able to relax with him. He had a beer in front of me the whole night and I could feel myself getting drunk. My eyes were starting to fuzz around the edges and I was very aware of the impulsive need I felt to touch any part of Jasper I could reach as he passed by.

"You're drunk." Jasper teased as I pulled him to me by the belt loop before he could make it to the barstool beside me. He laughed softly and let me wrap my arms around his waist, leaning down to place a soft kiss in my hair.

I nodded into his chest, inhaling deeply and breathing in the warm scent of him. Fuck. "Yeah. I am." I laughed. "Your fault though."

Jasper ran his fingers through my hair and tickled the skin at the nape of my neck and I'm pretty sure I purred into his t-shirt.

"I'm just gonna finish cleaning up, baby, we'll leave in a little bit, OK?" He loosened my grip on his waist and moved to step away from me but I couldn't let him leave; I just needed one more tiny, little kiss. I stood up with him and let my hands settle on his hips, leaning forward to press my mouth against his.

Groaning softly into my mouth, Jasper's lips parted and my tongue slid between them, searching for his own. I flicked my tongue against his when I found it and was rewarded when I heard his breath catch and felt his fingers tighten around my wrists. I pulled back to look him in the eye, and felt my dick harden considerably against his hip at the sight of his plump lips and flushed cheeks.

"Shit." He whispered, pulling away from me and pushing me to sit back down. I laughed softly to myself and watched him walk behind the bar, the unmistakable sight of him adjusting himself in his jeans making my face flush.

"Edward." I turned around to where Bella had been sitting the whole evening and was surprised to see Emmett had moved to her stool, leaning in to me and encouraging me to move closer to him. "I know I've been a dick to you tonight. That's not me, it's not who I am." I nodded, not ready to accept his half-assed apology. "That kid is my fucking brother, and if you're out to hurt him in any way or screw him over then I suggest you leave right now." His voice was calm but his words dripped with sincerity. And threat.

I wasn't going to sit back and let anyone, Jasper's friend or not, talk to me like that. I wasn't about to let him make less of my relationship with Jasper just because he didn't like or understand it and Emmett was surprised when I moved closer to him still.

"That _kid _is the best man I have ever met; he has saved my fucking life and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone come between us. I want to like you Emmett, for Jasper's sake, but I have no idea what your problem is with me. You better get over it quickly, man, 'cause I'm not going anywhere."

His face morphed from anger at my tone to appreciation of my words so fast I wondered if it would give him whiplash. His eyes brightened and widened and his dimples came out full force. My fucking buzzed brain could hardly keep up and before I knew what was happening his huge arms wrapped around me and he thumped me vigorously on the back.

"You must be a good guy to have Jasper's heart." He spoke quietly, reverently, next to my ear. "Just don't hurt him, man. He's so wrapped up in you." With a final squeeze he let go of me and wandered off from the bar.

I sat, dazed and completely fucking confused, drinking my beer sloppily until I saw Bella leaning on the bar next to me. She was even shorter standing up than I'd expected and I had to look down from my perch on the stool to speak to her. My head spun dizzily as I tried to focus my eyes on her.

"I see you've won over Emmett, huh? He's been trying to act like he hated you all night."

"Wait, he hasn't hated me all night?" I put my beer down, deciding I'd had enough to drink. Nothing was making sense any more.

"Emmett doesn't have it in him to hate anyone. He just wanted you to see how serious he was about protecting Jas. He wanted you to prove yourself." She smiled up at me, that shy blush coloring her cheeks again as she spoke. "Your little make out session in the middle of the bar convinced him. The look on both of your faces when you're together convinced him. You guys are so sweet."

Emmett hadn't had a problem with me at all; he just wanted to make sure I was good enough for Jasper. He could have fucking spoken to me to start with instead of acting like a prick all night but I wasn't going to hold it against him. That Jasper had such good friends looking out for him warmed my heart and I had a whole new respect for Emmett. I was glad I got a chance to see the real him, even if it was just for a minute. I could see now why Jasper had chosen him as a friend.

"You ready, baby?" Jasper's hand wrapped around mine, our fingers intertwining as he led me to the door, turning lights off as he went.

He dropped my hand to pull the bolts closed and lock the doors and we turned to say goodbye to Bella and Emmett. Bella wrapped her arms around Jasper's waist and he leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. She pulled me into a warm hug after she released Jasper and whispered how nice it had been to meet me. I squeezed her gently back but was distracted as I watched Emmett hug Jasper, his massive arms wrapping round him. They spoke softly to each other and I caught Emmett smile at me over Jasper's shoulder as they talked. I took it as a good sign.

Jasper moved to walk away and I said a quick goodbye to Emmett before stumbling along after him. He steadied me with his arm around my waist, the pads of his fingers rubbing enticingly at the skin on my hip, under my shirt.

"Will you drive my car home?" I pointed along the road to where my car was parked against the curb.

"It's not too far a walk to my place, baby. I'll help you." He tightened his hold on my waist and continued walking.

"Can we stay at my place? I want my sheets to smell like you when we have to go back to work." I leaned in and ran my nose along the soft skin of his throat. He smelled fucking incredible and I lost my footing, nearly going head over ass onto the pavement. Jasper righted us and pulled me along towards my car.

"Shit, baby. I don't want to drive your car. It's worth more than my whole apartment building." Jasper eyed the car warily, his mouth hanging wide as I pushed him against it, pinning him to the side with my hips and chest.

"It's fucking worthless compared to you." I rolled my hips against his as I spoke, letting him feel my dick, hard and ready for him, against his thigh. "The sooner you take me home, the sooner you can fuck me."

His cock was straining against his jeans, begging for my attention and I would have dropped to my knees right there if he hadn't pushed me off of him and into the passenger seat. He rounded the car and nervously sat in the drivers seat, his fingers playing over the steering wheel and gear shift for a solid minute before he plucked up the courage to start the ignition.

He was a great driver and the ride to my place was smooth. I watched him maneuver the machine through traffic and around cars and couldn't help but get more than fucking turned on. He looked confident, cocky even, and had me reaching down to palm my dick through my jeans. I directed him to the underground parking and was out of the car before it'd even stopped, stomping my way over to the elevator and waiting impatiently for it to arrive.

"What's the rush?" His husky voice was in my ear and his whole body was pressed up against me. I could feel his hard cock rubbing against my ass and his tongue licking along the back of my neck and up to my earlobe. I whined softly and pressed back against him as he pulled it between his teeth, nibbling gently.

"Fuck." I whimpered. His arms came around me to press one hand into my crotch and the other to travel up under my shirt and roll my nipple between his thumb and finger.

"Watch us." He nodded in front of us from over my shoulder, causing me to lift my eyes and see what he was talking about. My whole body fucking trembled when I saw our reflection in the metal doors of the elevator. I could see as well as feel him kissing along my neck. He pulled his hand from my hip to tug the shoulder of my coat down and bit gently into my shoulder through the thin fabric of my shirt.

I could see his hand working my cock over my jeans and I raised my arms up over my head to grasp his curls in my fingers, arching my back and pushing my ass into him. I groaned loudly as he pulled away from me when the elevator doors opened and walked past me to stand against the faraway wall, waiting for me to enter and push the button to my floor.

The ride felt longer than normal, and the hallway on my floor seemed longer than usual. I couldn't wait to get Jasper into my apartment and feel him all over me as soon as possible. I fumbled drunkenly trying to get my key in the door and as soon as I managed we were kicking off our shoes and clothes and laughing as we each knocked into things, tripping and stumbling in our haste.

I moved to the sofa, not bothering to turn on any lights in the apartment. The orange glow from the city below us was enough to light our way across the room and get us there with no further incident. I lay on the cool leather sofa, stretched out on my stomach and waited as I heard Jasper move into my bedroom and open the bedside drawer. I let my breathing calm and my mind drift and before I had even realized I'd fallen asleep I was being awakened by Jasper positioning himself between my legs and pulling my ass up to meet his face.

My moans were loud and needy and my cock was rock hard beneath me as Jasper opened his mouth to me and kissed and licked his way across my hole. I was fucking rocking myself into his tongue with everything I had and it still didn't feel like enough. His hand moved beneath me and drew my dick backwards into his warm, wet mouth and I gasped at the new sensation. Licking his way from the length of my shaft to my balls, sucking them into his mouth and tonguing them deliciously, his fingers, lubed and slick, moved to my entrance and he pushed two inside me steadily. I cried out at the feeling, and bucked back into them, anxious for more.

As Jasper prepared me for his cock, he pulled his mouth from me and moved me so that I was kneeling on the couch, my hands braced on the back and Jasper standing behind me. I knew this was going to be a quick, hard fuck. And I couldn't have been happier about it. My cock was aching, precum already dripping onto the white leather and I needed a release fast.

I could feel Jasper's body heat so close behind me as he placed the head of his cock at my entrance and thrust quickly inside me, his hands wrapping around my ribs tightly. The sharp pain from his powerful thrust only added to the pleasure. Each thrust after his first was quick and deep, pushing inside me and brushing my prostate before pulling out quickly and slamming in again.

Our gasps and grunts were filling the cool air of my apartment. The sound of our skin slapping and Jasper moaning above me was getting me closer and closer to my release. I grabbed my aching cock, pumping firmly and in time with Jasper's pounding.

"Fucking hell, Edward. You're so tight, baby." Jasper moaned and picked up his speed and relentless force.

"Fucking cum with me." I ground out, my balls tightening and my whole body shaking, ready to explode at any second.

"I'm cumming! Fuck, baby. Cum." He growled above me, causing my cock to fucking explode and my orgasm to rip from me, covering the back of the sofa and the hand I had wrapped around myself. Jasper's whole body stilled behind me as he emptied into the condom. His forehead coming to rest between my shoulder blades and his hot, panting breaths tickling my back.

My arms gave way beneath me and my whole body slumped forward against the back of the couch. I could feel Jasper moving behind me, pulling away from me and then quickly coming back. His arms were around my body and my slick skin was pressed up against his strong chest as he carried me to the bedroom. My eyes were closed and my breathing steady before I'd even hit the sheets beneath me. There was no way I'd be tossing and turning tonight.

**The response to the last chapter was incredible. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. It means so much to me every single time.**

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**Elyze, thanks for your help with the medical termonolgy. It's a massive help!**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Sleeves Chapter Twelve**

JPOV

Scratching and squeaking, the sound of pen moving over paper was lulling me into a trance. My hands moved over the canvas without my mind telling them to do so as my eyes followed the long line of Edward's neck, his long fingers wrapped around his pen and his full lips moving soundlessly over the words before him. I stood next to the window of my living room, the heavy curtains that usually covered it were open and pushed aside and the room was saturated in a pink glow; the twilight skies slowly draining of color and giving way to the night.

Edward sat on my couch, legs curled underneath him and a heavy book in his lap. His flannel sleep pants and white cotton t-shirt looked soft and warm, crumpled from napping away most of the day together, curled around each other in my small bed. His left hand seemed permanently embedded in his hair, the evening glow making his copper strands bright and wild; brass and iron. He stared intently at the text in front of him, reading and rereading page after page, scribbling notes and highlighting paragraphs endlessly.

When Edward had groaned and untangled his body from mine in bed this afternoon I hadn't wanted to move from the warmth of the covers, the comfort of his arms around me and his face buried in my curls, his sweet breath bathing my hair and skin with every exhale.

"I've got to get some studying in tonight and if we don't get out of bed I wont get fucking anything done." He sighed in mock exasperation as his eyes roamed the length of my body, lingering on my stomach and chest. Licking his lips, he chuckled as I stretched out before him hamming every single movement up in a bid to get him to stay with me. "For fuck's sake, look at you. How am I supposed to tear myself away from this?"

I grinned up at him smugly, my smile turning into an open mouthed gasp as he leaned down and took my nipple into his hot mouth, flicking his tongue over the bud and twirling my barbell languidly between his lips. The angle of his body leaning over mine meant that no other part of him was touching me and I was desperate for the friction, for the feel of hot flesh and slick bodies against each other.

"Just ten more minutes, baby." I pleaded, lifting my arms to his shoulders and scratching my blunt fingernails down the length of his back like I knew he loved. Edward's sharp intake of breath had me grasping at his warm skin, desperate to pull him down to me and feel his weight on my sluggish body.

I thought he would give in. I thought he would let himself fall on top of me and laugh quietly as we struggled out of our pants and under the covers. Unfortunately, I thought wrong. With a heavy sigh and a look of determination he pushed up on his arms, leaving my chest wet from the licks and kisses he had placed across my skin, and crawled out of bed. Damnit.

"I've got to work, Jasper." His voice was strained with the lust still coursing through his body and as he stood before me his huge erection was obvious under his thin trousers. My mouth watered at the sight. "I'm sorry."

The apologetic tone of Edward's voice had me dragging my gaze away from his groin and looking up into his down turned eyes. We had struggled to find the balance between working and our responsibilities and spending time with one another, finally deciding we should do both whenever time allowed. Edward worried that his dedication to his job and the amount of hours it took up, both at the hospital and at home, would make me want him less and by the look on his face and the hard set of his mouth his mind was in overdrive, getting down on himself about having to stop our fun and flirting to do work instead.

"Don't worry baby, I know its important." I ducked my head to catch his eyes and my breath caught at the tenderness in them as they blinked slowly down at me. "We can play later." I smiled, trying to ease his guilt and worrying.

Edward's job did take up a lot of his free time; even when he wasn't working he was researching papers and projects, studying new techniques and medicines. It seemed there was always something changing or being developed that he needed to be up to date with. I could see the guilt and apology in his eyes every time he had to pull away from me to study, every time he had to cut a dinner short or end a phone conversation early. Not to mention the times he was beeped in to work as we fooled around or just as our dinner had come out of the oven.

As much as he worried about it, I didn't let it bother me. Edward had responsibilities to his job and his patients and I could understand that. His dedication and the compassion melted my heart. He was so caring and so involved in all of his patients, working hard for every single one of them and not stopping for days at a time when someone needed him. I found myself in awe of him and the work he did and I wanted to be supportive of it every step of the way. I wanted to be with Edward and I knew that his job was a part of who he was. And I would accept that and everything that went with it, lonely nights and blue balls included.

So as Edward worried and bit down lightly on his bottom lip, I pushed up and onto my knees, ignoring my dick, aching and straining inside my briefs, and took his hands in mine.

"Don't worry, baby."

Edward nodded softly and leaned down to press a gentle, chaste kiss against my mouth. His lips were warm and soft and I had to hold back the moan of appreciation that sounded from my throat. With a final squeeze he pulled away, picking up his t-shirt from where it lay discarded on the floor and moving to get settled in the living room for the evening.

I knew I couldn't miss the opportunity to have him sitting still for hours without using it to my advantage and rolled out of bed to set up my easel in the same room. I pulled on some clothes and padded through the apartment in search of paint or charcoals to use. I waited until he settled, then moved to stand behind him, his profile my subject for the day. The sharp angles of his face and the strong planes of his body exposed to me as he curled sideways on the couch, already engrossed in his work. I just had to paint him. He looked flawless, his eyes were bright and sharp, the tired bags and heavy lids gone since our afternoon nap. His full lips would purse and his forehead would scrunch in concentration and I would move quicker to capture the intensity of his focus. My eyes never left his face to see my work, I could trust my hands to capture his beauty. His strength and fixation. I didn't want to miss a single thing about him.

Before we had agreed to spend some of our time together on our own work, I had been neglecting my art more and more. I was spending every minute I could with Edward and when we were apart I couldn't seem to motivate myself. It seemed as though I couldn't paint these days without my muse, so now I took every opportunity I could to capture his perfection.

After three hours of my painting and Edward's studying, my shirt was abandoned on the floor, my sleep shorts the only thing covering my body, beads of sweat forming and dripping as I moved my body to make my art. I mixed my paints, thick and vibrant, on my palette and continued to work, the sounds of his soft breathing and the scratching of his pen calming me and allowing my mind to wander. It was the same way most days we had together and I enjoyed the peace of having him near me while I painted.

When Edward was quiet and melancholy at the end of his day, after something had happened with one of his patients, and he came to me and asked me to just hold him until he calmed, my work was soft and subdued, cool colors and soft lines. On the nights when we were spent and sated, exhausted from our love making and Edward would steal glances at me from his position on my couch, throwing me cocky little smirks and seductively raised eyebrows, my work was fiery and bright. Passionate and intense. I hadn't drawn a subject other than Edward in weeks and I hoped my art would only be better because of it. I focused on a different angle of his body or a different feature every time I started a new piece; his large hands, strong shoulders or long legs. His firm ass or his toned stomach were drawn from memories burned into my mind. He really was my muse and I had never felt so inspired.

As I painted and Edward read, his gaze would sometimes meet mine over the edge of his book or the back of the couch. He would turn his head to glance at me, his eyes roaming appreciatively over my body and a sexy smirk forming on his lips and I'd know it was time to take a study break. We were content in each other's company and were happy to talk quietly when Edward needed a break. For the most part though, we were silent. Engrossed. Edward in his journals and articles and me in him. I loved our days and nights spent like this, whether in my apartment with Edward squeezed up on my little, slouchy couch with his piles of books and his glasses on or with me at Edward's place, my art supplies and easel in front of his huge window wall basking in the natural light engulfing the room.

It was a big step for us and we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves as we placed our belongings in each other's homes. Seeing my art supplies at Edward's place and painting in front of his huge windows for the first time gave me goosebumps. Everything about it felt right. We'd fit into each other's lives seamlessly and I couldn't be happier about it. The days when I'd answer my door to Edward in a pair of scrubs and we'd shower and cook and eat and work together were more perfect than anything else. He fit into my apartment perfectly, his little bits of clutter only adding to my mess in an incredible way that I couldn't do without now. And when I was at his place I no longer felt scared to touch anything; he'd invited me in and I was slowly leaving piles of mess around his pristine apartment.

"I'll tidy the place up, baby. I'm sorry." I had apologized as I saw his eyes roam the stacks of art supplies, paper, charcoals, paints, that I had surrounded myself in. A pink blush rose on his cheeks and I wondered if it was in agitation or something else.

"No. I love it." He blushed deeper and his eyes sparkled as he spoke, "I love having little pieces of you here when you're not around. I love your half finished paintings and your mess and your color. It feels more like home."

A squeak of the couch pulled me out of my thoughts and brought my eyes into focus on Edward as he pulled off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes with both hands. He worked so hard sometimes. I took this as my cue to join him for a break and stepped away from my easel, grabbing a hand towel from the table next to me and wiping off my hands and chest. I picked up a couple of bottles of water from the fridge before I sat next to Edward on the sofa.

"Bella's been asking about you." I teased as he pulled my feet up into his lap and began rubbing the arches with his long fingers. It had become a running joke that Bella had a crush on Edward since they'd first met at the bar. Every time it was mentioned Edward would blanch and tell me to stop being ridiculous. We'd been out again with my friends since they met Edward and watching the two of them interact, Bella shy and blushing, Edward awkward and fumbling, had been cringe-worthy and hilarious.

Edward dug his fingers into my toes, tickling until I was forced to beg for mercy. Laughing and panting for breath I pulled my legs from his hands and turned myself to lay my head in his lap, his fingers automatically pulling through my hair, separating my curls and twirling the strands absent-mindedly. My breathing calmed and my heart rate slowed. I couldn't have been tired, all we'd done all day was slept and touched and kissed and sucked, but I felt my eyes fluttering closed as my face snuggled into the soft fabric of his pants.

"Carlisle and Esme have been asking if you'd come with me to their place for dinner." Edward's voice was soft, quiet, allowing me to relax under his ministrations. It wasn't the first time we'd spoken about his mentor and his wife. Edward had told me that Carlisle had become a father figure to him over the years and that he and his wife were as close to parents as Edward would ever get. He strived for their approval and turned to them for advice. They were very important in Edward's life. And they wanted to meet me.

The thought should have filled me with dread but all I could think about was how much I, too, wanted their approval. I wanted Edward's family, so to speak, to like me and to embrace me. I wanted them to see the difference we were making in each other's lives and I wanted them to appreciate it. I wanted it because I wanted Edward.

"Of course, baby." I whispered, not opening my eyes. I heard a sigh and felt a kiss being pressed into my temple.

"Thank you. I didn't know if it was too much. Too soon." Edward spoke softly again, relief coloring his tone.

"Not too much at all." I smiled up at him, opening my eyes slowly and seeing the room that much darker than when I'd closed them moments ago. Dusk was settling on the city. "When can we go?"

His answering smile was blinding, eyes alight and crooked grin. Beautiful. "Is tomorrow too soon? You have no idea how much this means to me."

Reaching my hand up to pull his face down to mine, I kissed him slowly and spoke against his lips between teasing pecks. "I do. Tomorrow's perfect."

Edward's tongue ran along my bottom lip before he sucked it slowly into his mouth, biting down and causing my back to arch and my toes to curl. How can it be this good every time? How can he make me heart race and my pulse thunder every single time he kisses me? I moaned into his mouth and returned his kiss with fervor, knotting my fingers in his hair and anchoring him to me. Pushing me up and off his lap he moved off the couch to straddle me, rocking his semi hard dick into my own.

Watching him study for hours, his tongue trailing over his pouty bottom lip in concentration and those sexy glasses on his face, was foreplay enough and my cock was already hard and aching, leaking precum into my curls as it desperately sought friction through the thin layers of our clothing. My hands worked their way up his sides, sliding his shirt off him as my mouth found it's way to his chest, flicking his nipples and teasing him with my teeth. My hands moved to cup his ass, dipping under his pants to squeeze at the bare flesh there.

Every one of my senses was on overdrive. Edward was all I could see as he sat above me, his brilliant green eyes trained on mine as I bit down gently on one of his nipples. He was all I could taste and feel, thrusting his hips into mine and driving me crazy. His grunts and pants were all I could hear, the rest of the world drowned out, unnecessary, when Edward was around. And the smell of sex was heavy in the air, turning me on more and more as my whole world was wrapped up in him.

His hands on my shoulders, kneading and scratching, as well as my fingers digging into the soft flesh of his ass were leverage enough to have him writhing above me, our cocks brushing with every thrust, causing just enough pressure to have my stomach clenching.

"Slow down, baby." I panted. I couldn't come like this, without feeling his skin against mine or his tightness clenching around me. "I need to be inside you."

"Fuck." Edward panted, slowing his movements before climbing off of me His chest was already glistening with sweat and before he could move too far I had my hands wrapped around his ribs, my mouth moving over his stomach, lapping at the slick skin and muttering incoherent words as my mind reeled at the taste of him. I could feel his hands moving to push his pants past his hips and moved my tongue and lips lower in the hopes of finding him naked and ready for me.

I licked at the ripples of his abs and over to his hipbone, skimming my nose along his flesh and inhaling deeply until my tongue met the leaking head of his cock where I lapped greedily at the precum dripping from his tip. Edward's moans were getting louder and more wanton with every pass of my tongue over his slit and every contraction of my throat as I swallowed around his length and I knew he was getting close.

Releasing his cock with a slippery pop and chuckling to myself at his hiss of disapproval I pushed him back from me, standing to strip off my shorts and grab my lube from my bedroom. When I returned to Edward my heart almost stopped at the sight of him, on all fours on the worn rug of my living room floor, his head hanging low between his arms and his hand working over his cock. Pink and perfect, and full for me. When he heard me approach from behind him his head turned to acknowledge me with a lazy smirk.

"I want you so bad, baby. So fucking bad." I murmured as I kneeled behind him and pushed two slick fingers into his tight hole. I thrust them quickly in and out, listening closely for any signs of discomfort or pain but not having the patience to prep him slowly. Edward's moans and gasps as he continued to pump himself were all the encouragement I needed to keep going.

"Then fucking have me." Looking back at me from over his shoulder, Edward knew what he was doing to me, giving me those eyes, waiting for me in this position and never once stopping the stroking of his hand over his cock. He wanted me just as I wanted him; hard and fast and right fucking now.

I grabbed the bottle to lube up my dick only to realize I hadn't picked up a condom. I grunted in annoyance and placed my hands on Edwards back as leverage to stand and for the first time since I'd returned Edward dropped his cock, glaring back at me. I would have laughed at the look of disgust on his face had I not been so desperate for him too.

"What the fuck?" He huffed.

"I need to get a rubber" I caught his eyes as they widened for a moment before he turned around to face the front and pushed his ass back against me.

"We don't need it." The thought of having every inch of Edward's hot flesh surrounding me had precum dripping from my dick onto the top of Edward's ass, but I needed to be sure that this wasn't just a heat of the moment thing. We'd fucked bareback once before when our passion had taken over us, Christ, we hadn't even made it past my front door but I didn't want to risk him, I couldn't take this for granted. He must have sensed my reluctance and the seriousness of the situation. "I trust you Jasper. It's OK, I want this. Do you?"

My heart was pounding, my blood rushing through my veins and making my dick throb uncomfortably. "Jesus Christ, Edward. I do." Our eyes met again, this time the lust taking a back seat to implicit trust and complete adoration. With a final nod Edward dropped my gaze and steadied himself for me again.

I lubed myself up and took a final deep breath before pushing into him slowly, carefully. When I was seated fully inside him, my hips flush with his ass and feeling every inch of him around my cock, I had to clench my eyes and my jaw against the overwhelming feeling. The sensation was out of this world; my dick was throbbing inside him and I was holding my breath so as not to cum right there. My heart was racing, the trust we were placing in each other to do this again, amazed me and filled me with such hope and happiness.

I controlled my breathing, waited a few seconds and then pulled almost all the way out of him before pushing back in. His ass met me with force and I took the hint and pulled back to thrust more quickly, more deeply. Our rhythm picked up and before long I was pounding into Edward harder than ever before. His moans were filling the room and the sound of his fist moving over his slick cock had my balls tightening brutally.

"Harder." Edward moaned, releasing his cock to brace himself against the force of my thrusts. I couldn't keep the growls from bursting out of my chest and my pace quickened more, my rhythm faltering the closer I got to release. My hands were tight on his hips and through the lust clouding my mind I briefly hoped I wasn't hurting him. I raised up slightly on my knees, changing the angle at which I was slamming into Edward.

"Right there, fuck. Right there." He shouted, his body trembling with the force of his oncoming orgasm.

It took three more deep thrusts and he was coming all over the rug beneath him, his dick pulsing without even being touched. Knowing that I had done that, I had made him cum with just my dick in his ass, had me falling over the edge.

"Shit, baby, I'm coming."

Looking down as I began to pulse I pulled my cock all of the way out of Edward. Moaning and gasping, I fisted it tightly and watched as thick spurts of my cum shot out and covered Edward's ass. The visual had my knees nearly giving out, shaking below me as I continued to drip all over him. Still hard, I pushed my dick back inside of his entrance, my cum covering me and pushing inside of him. I thrust slowly a few more times, feeling Edwards arms shake beneath him before I pulled out and fell to the side. Edward joined me seconds later, his arms finally giving out, landing next to me, our chests heaving and our bodies shining.

"That was fucking incredible." Edward panted beside me. I mumbled an affirmative and closed my eyes, images of what we'd just done flitting behind my eyelids and causing me to shake in the aftermath of my orgasm.

After lying on the floor of my living room with the air cooling our heated bodies and the light growing even dimmer until we were surrounded in darkness, we got up and showered quickly before heading to bed. Neither of us were tired, our day had been slow and relaxing. We were content to just lie together, enjoying the rare peaceful night we had, just talking, tangled around each other with my head on Edward's chest, listening to his heavy heartbeat and the low timbre of his voice.

"They're going to love you." He said quietly. We had left all of the lights off and couldn't see far into the darkness.

"I hope so." I replied honestly, as I let my fingers trace patterns on his abdomen, tickling and swirling their way across his skin. I really did hope they would. "My friends loved you."

"Not at first," he scoffed, reminding me of Emmett's big brother act when he'd first met Edward. I could understand his need to look out for me and I would have been really pissed at him had I not known how hard he was having to try to come across as a dick. He didn't have a bad bone in him and had taken to Edward like I knew he would. We had spent an evening together with Emmett, his girlfriend Rosalie, and Bella and everyone had been great with Edward. They saw the difference he'd made in me, my self esteem, my confidence.

"They were just worried about me. They do really like you, they know you're good for me."

His voice was closer to my ear as he pulled me tighter against him. "I'm glad you've got them to look out for you. They're good friends."

The melancholy of his voice didn't surprise me; Edward hadn't spoken of any friends of his own for me to meet, only Carlisle and Esme, and I figured he'd worked so hard in his life that he hadn't had time to make friends. It made the effort my friends were making seem all the more important. I wanted Edward to find happiness in his life and be surrounded by people who loved him. I was determined to help him in any way I could and loved the idea of my friends becoming_ our _friends.

"They are."

We were quiet for a while, enjoying each other, as my fingers trailed lower on his stomach and his coming up to run through my hair.

"Weren't you supposed to be working tomorrow?" He asked, making me smile into his chest at the fact that he remembered my work schedule. I'd never really had anyone to do that before.

"Yeah, I'll swap days with someone. I want to come with you."

"Just not James, OK?" He caught me off guard. I hadn't even considered James in any of this, the thought of him still made my blood boil and I was doing my best to keep him out of my mind altogether. We hadn't really spoken about him; the past week or so had been so quiet at work with him absent for all of my shifts. It really was a case of out of sight, out of mind and I was more than thankful for the stop in the drama.

"Yeah, sure, baby." I reassured Edward, not saying any more in case he didn't want to discuss it right now.

"I just don't want you to owe him anything." He went on. I could understand why he would feel that way but I had to make him know he didn't have to worry about him.

"You know everything he said to you was bullshit, right?" Leaning up on my elbow I gazed down at his face, the angles of his jaw and the line of his nose standing out in the darkness but unable to make out much more. I brought my hand up to trace his cheek, the backs of my fingers gliding softly over his skin. "We're good for each other and we can't let him make us think otherwise."

I was trying to be certain, to know myself and be sure of myself, but I couldn't help but think that maybe James just had it backwards, Edward was completely out of my league; he was gorgeous, kind, compassionate and rich. He had aspirations and goals and worked hard every day to make them a reality. Maybe I wasn't good enough for him?

Shaking my head I could see how ridiculous these thoughts were; we had changed each other already. We had bettered each other's lives and no one was going to belittle that. Or us. We were good for each other; good enough for each other

"I know. I trust you, Jasper." I sighed in relief, those few words lifting a weight that I hadn't noticed had settled onto my chest.

"There has never been anything between James and I."

"It's OK if you had. It wouldn't matter." Edward's words told me it wouldn't matter but his tone told me it'd break his heart if I had, if there was any truth behind James' comments.

"I've only been in a few relationships. Three actually." I dropped my head back onto his chest, pulling my body snugly against his side and letting the rise and fall of his breathing and his steadily beating heart calm me. How had this turned into a discussion about past relationships? Were we really going to do this?

"Are we really going to do this?" Edward chuckled softly, the low sound reverberating through his chest and into my ear. I laughed out loud as he plucked the thoughts straight from my head and nodded against his chest. Might as well get it over with.

"I've had three relationships; one when I was in high school and had just came out and a couple more since I moved to the city. None of them were all that serious; they left when I wasn't able to spend the money or time on them while working two or three jobs to help out my momma. I've had a few one night stands but nothing has every happened between James and I."

I guess it felt good to have another piece of myself out in the open, not having to worry about any skeletons falling out of my closet. I sighed a small breath of relief as he hummed in acceptance and shifted so he was on his side, his face level with me and his left arm slung over my hip to rub tiny circles on the small of my back.

I braced myself for his own past, not having a clue what to expect from Edward.

"I've never been in a relationship. Before now. I couldn't be without telling all the fucking gory details of my past. You're the first person I've ever wanted to share myself with." I smiled and slid my body closer to his so our noses were brushing and our legs were twisted together. "So I've only ever had one or two nights with someone before I moved on, or they got tired of waiting for me to open up to them. I've slept with both men and women and they're all the same – they want you until you fuck them and then they either want to move on to the next thing or they want to get too close." Edward sighed and in the dim light I could make out the fluttering close of his eyelids and the clench of his jaw as he tried to regain control over himself.

"How many?" My curiosity would get the better of me and I knew it. What did I expect, tens? Hundreds?

"You want a number?" He groaned, rolling onto his back and scrubbing his palm over his face. "OK, uh..40?" He sounded unsure, his voice muffled as his hands still covered his face.

I guess it could have been worse. My ego liked it a lot too, he had been with a lot of people where I could count on my fingers the number of people I'd slept with, yet only hours ago I'd been able to make Edward come without even touching his dick.

"Happy now?" He laughed softly into the night, leaning over to pull me completely against him again as our breathing slowed and our moving fingers stopped tracing.

We fell asleep completely wrapped in each other, mind, body and soul, and I don't think either of us moved all night.

We woke up the next morning in exactly the same position, my face stuffed into the nook of Edward's neck and his cheek resting against my forehead. The grey morning allowed us to sleep late and wake slowly to the new day, quietly kissing and softly touching as the morning took hold of the world. We showered together, taking our time, slowly washing each other, and ate in bed, content to laze away the start of the day.

The butterflies in my stomach grew as the hours of the afternoon ticked by. I thought I was ready to meet Carlisle and Esme but the nerves now growing told me otherwise. I had managed to change my shift for tonight and was looking forward to spending another night with Edward but I was getting more and more nervous the closer we got to leaving for dinner and when Edward left to get changed at his apartment and pick up his car my mind went into overdrive.

What if they didn't like me? Or didn't think I was good enough for Edward? Would Edward change his mind about me depending on the approval of his mother and father figure? Waiting for Edward to call to say he'd arrived with the car downstairs I checked my reflection in the mirror of my bathroom one last time. My hair was tame and my face was clean-shaven. My clothes were neat and clean, bootcut denim and an Oxford shirt with a warm v-neck sweater to hide my ink.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans one last time before I closed the door of my apartment behind me and made my way to Edward's waiting car on the street below. Edward was calm and collected, excited even about introducing me as his boyfriend. I was nervously picking at my fingernails and bouncing my knee as we drove through the city to their townhouse.

"Relax." He laughed softly, leaning over to grab my hand, either in reassurance or to stop my fidgeting. He accomplished both and my heart beat slowed ever so slightly as his fingers wrapped around mine. "Just be yourself and you'll do great."

"Shit. What am I even going to say to these people? We'll have nothing in common except you." What could I possibly talk to a Chief of Surgery and his good wife about? It's not as if we run in the same circles.

"I think you'll be surprised." Edward smiled at me and caught my eyes briefly. I took a deep breath and told myself I could do this, when Edward pulled his car up in front of a beautiful, tall, brownstone. I hadn't realized quite how important this was to me, to make a good impression, until my nerves had started kicking in. I wanted Edward to be able to be proud of me amongst his colleagues and peers. I wanted to fit in with his life and this was the first step in doing that.

Carlisle and Esme were warm and welcoming from the moment I walked into their home. They engaged me in conversation about art and local politics, both of which interested me. They told me anecdotes about Edward fresh out of med school with ambition and balls enough to really make a name for himself and asked me questions about my home town and family. By the end of the night, Edward was holding my hand on top of the table as we sipped from our wine glasses and Esme was cooing at him every time he spoke into my ear or ran his fingers over my cheek.

My spirits were raised and my hopes for our future were high as we drove back to my apartment. Edward's family, so to speak, had not only accepted me and our relationship but had welcomed me with open arms into their home and their lives. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as Edward parked his car and we made our way up the cold stairs and into my apartment.

"They loved you." He said against my lips, a smile of his own seemingly permanently etched onto his face.

"Yeah, I think they did," I sighed happily and opened my mouth to him, sucking gently on his sweet tongue as it searched for my own. Our touches and kisses spoke of hope for our future, happiness and acceptance, lust and someday love. We fell into bed, with light hearts and searching hands and moved slowly together enjoying our moment of bliss. Nothing could reach us tonight. Nothing could hold us back.

**I see now that bribery is the way to go! Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter and I hope you enjoyed your outtake. Want to see how J and E's night out went with Em, Rose and Bella? Reviewers will get a lovely wee outtake to tide them over to next week. I'll start sending it out in a couple of days.**

**Next week's update will probably be a few days late, work will be kicking my ass but I'll try to keep on track as much as possible. **

**Voting is now open for the We Heart It contest, the link is on my profile so head over and vote for your favourites before Sunday.**

**Last but not least, to my incredible beta, harrytwifan – thank you so much for all of your hard work on this chapter, I'm sure you'll be rewarded in heaven! I'll step away from the boy porn and concentrate on my work next time. TY TY TY.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sleeves Chapter Thirteen**

**OK...slight angst warning. I'm sorry.**

EPOV

"Jasper, dear," Esme started, her powder blue eyes flitting from Jasper's face to our touching shoulders, our hands obviously joined beneath the linen table cloth. She was enraptured by him, as I knew she would be. She was warm and polite as she engaged him in conversation, and she would light up every time he drawled a reply and looked her in the eye. "Where is your family from?"

"Blessing, Texas, Ma'am." He replied, looking across the dinner table at her, flashing his dimples and causing her to blush delicately. "My, uh, my accent comes out a little more when I'm nervous," he finished with a chuckle.

I laughed softly along with him, squeezing his fingers gently and just fucking basking in the calm surrounding me as I watched him with my family.

"No need to be nervous, dear. We're just so glad Edward brought you over to meet us. We've heard so much about you."

Now it was my turn to blush. I ducked my eyes as Jasper raised his to smirk at me and felt him pull my hand over into his lap and encase it in his other palm. I squirmed in my seat, sure I was bright pink and just fucking radiating happiness. When Jasper had agreed to come over to meet Carlisle and Esme I was overwhelmed; this was as close to bringing him home to meet my parents as he was ever going to get and I was so excited to be taking this step with him.

Jasper had been really fucking nervous coming here; sweaty palms and fidgeting fingers and I'd been so fucking tempted to pull over on the drive and offer him head to calm him down but I was too excited to get him here and show him off. Esme had beamed at us as we walked up to the front door, hand in sweaty hand, and had opened her arms to us without a second thought. Carlisle had shaken Jasper's hand firmly and invited us into their home warmly, without judgement or hesitation. Jasper relaxed more and more as we moved to sit at the dining table and spoke quietly about our trip over, our day.

"What brought you to the city?" Carlisle spoke around a mouthful of pasta, earning a disapproving glance from his wife. He swallowed and smiled sheepishly before nodding at Jasper to continue and listening intently to his every word about starting a career as an artist and supporting his family from afar.

I beamed with pride as he spoke about his work and his family, his kindness shining through with every word spoken. The conversation never faltered and I enjoyed learning more about the beautiful boy next to me as he answered questions and shared stories about his life.

As we moved to the living room after our meal, every one of us full to bursting, we took a seat on one of the plush sofas. Our bodies were connected at every point possible, aching to cuddle into one another, and our hands were grasped tightly, fingers tangling and tickling. Always touching.

Jasper spoke with pride and some measure of modesty about his art work, much to the delight of Esme, who had garnered a huge interest in local artists and their work. She attended opening after opening at galleries across the city as a favorite pastime.

"What do you plan to do with these beautiful pieces? Surely they wont just sit, unseen, in your apartment forever?" Esme sounded appalled at the idea, gazing intently at Jasper from the love-seat across the room.

"No, Ma'am. I plan to show my work someday, when I can afford to rent the space; a hall or a little gallery somewhere. I can't afford to show until I sell some of my work and I can't sell any of my work until I have somewhere to show it off."

I hadn't even thought about the logistics of showing art in a gallery, and hadn't considered that Jasper would be looking to do so. Of course he would; he should be so fucking proud of his work.

"Lately, I've been painting, uh, art that would only appeal to a particular niche, I guess. I don't know if anyone would even be interested in it. I have yet to catch a break." Jasper shrugged lazily before scooting down and snuggling closer to me than before.

Remembering his recent paintings, me naked on his bed, my profile, my hands, my feet, my fucking anything he could lay his eyes on, I immediately worried that I was distracting him from painting other, more marketable things. But I couldn't deny that what he had created was beautiful, each one of his paintings and drawings was perfect and precious.

"They're incredible," I spoke up, catching Jasper's eye with a wide smile as he blushed, looking at me in surprise. "What? They are. They're beautiful."

"Thank you," he whispered quietly as he brought his lips to mine in a firm but chaste kiss. My lips tingled as he pulled away and I smiled brightly at him, lifting my hand to trail my fingers slowly over his cheek and jaw, down his neck and finally to graze them up and down the soft, warm skin of his arm as it rested in my lap.

"Well, I'll need to see it for myself then." Esme's voice reminded us that were weren't alone, that we were, in fact, in company and tore Jasper's eyes from mine. I could see the shock register on his face as he took in her words. Apparently so could Esme. "If they're as good as Edward says they are then I'll have no problem commissioning a gallery to host your show." She stated matter of factly.

"Wait, you don't have to do that. I don't think my pieces are ready to show." Jasper's voice hitched, his eyes flitting from Esme to me, as if to say that this was my fault and I should fix it.

I squeezed his forearm in what I hoped was a reassuring gesture, chuckling to myself at the look of pure panic on his face. I knew his work was incredible and he'd be foolish not to jump at this opportunity. He was on his own here.

"Don't be silly, I'd love to help you out." Esme's voice was sweet. And determined.

"Jasper, my wife has apparently made up her mind and I, for one, know there's no changing it now so you might as well just go with it." Carlisle laughed loudly at Esme's perseverance as she invited herself over to Jasper's apartment to view his work. "And what about you son," he directed at me, making me cringe at the term of endearment and making my heart fill to bursting at the same time. "How are your plans coming along?"

Shrugging gently, I saw Jasper watching me with curious eyes. "I'm getting there, work is coming along fine and I've scouted out a few places that might work." I hadn't discussed my plans to open my own private practice with Jasper yet; we hadn't spoken much about the future at all. I knew though, whatever happened, private practice or not, gallery show or not, that I wanted my future to include him and I turned my body towards his and met his gaze. "I'm going to open my own practice in a few years, when I've finish my residency.."

I waited anxiously to see his reaction. Would he feel it would take too much time away from him in my life? Would he be prepared to stand by me as I worked my ass off to run my own practice? Carlisle and Esme were talking to each other quietly, sensing that we needed privacy and giving it to us willingly.

"That sounds amazing, baby." The sincerity in his voice, the pride and quiet excitement had my stomach clenching and my blood pounding through my veins. "It'll be amazing."

Bringing his hand up to my mouth, I pressed my lips against his fingers whispering my thanks. He seemed to understand. To know that he wasn't just approving of this for my future, but for ours. That he wasn't only accepting it but encouraging it and supporting it. He wrapped his free arm around my shoulder, fingering the hair at the nape of my neck and pulling my face to his for a series of soft, slow kisses. Resting our foreheads together when we pulled back, remembering our company, Jasper's eyes shone; ocean blue and happiness.

As the moment passed, Carlisle and I discussed the pros and cons of a new procedure that had the surgical world talking while Esme and Jasper spoke about local artists, galleries and openings. I could hear Jasper's reluctance wearing thinner and thinner the more they spoke. The evening was perfect and I could feel my cheeks aching from the size of the smile I wore on my face all night.

The evening was winding down and Esme was packaging up leftovers for us to take home, Carlisle was taking a phone call in his office and Jasper and I were whispering between ourselves, leaning against the frame of the kitchen door and stealing quick kisses and soft touches. The barely there touches of his fingertips on my jaw and throat were sparking a fire low in my belly. His lips pressing at the side of my mouth were making my hands ache to wrap around his hips and my tongue long to be inside his hot mouth.

"Oh, Edward, what are your plans for Thanksgiving sweetheart? Carlisle is working but I'll be cooking for 4pm if you're coming over this year? Jasper, you're more than welcome to come too."

"Thank you for the invite, Esme," Jasper spoke up, calling Esme by her name now that she had insisted he drop the Ma'am. "I'm all set to go back to Blessing for a few days to visit my momma."

My eyes flashed to his, we had only briefly spoken about our plans for Thanksgiving next week but hadn't set on anything for certain. I smiled at him, letting him know I was glad he'd be visiting with his family and that he shouldn't feel guilty about it or feel like he had to stay with me. His shoulders relaxed minutely and I knew he understood.

"I've volunteered to work and let the guys with families spend time with them." I didn't need the time off and wanted to let those with wives and kids, husbands and families, enjoy the holiday.

"Edward." Esme's voice was stern and when I met her blue eyes they were fierce and decisive. "_You_ have a family. We're your family." Her eyes flashed to Jasper then settled on mine and I nodded in understanding; Carlisle and Esme were my family. Jasper was a part of my family.

The drive home was quiet and calm, Jasper's hand never left my grip and his eyes seemed to never leave my face. As we parked at the curb and made our way up to Jasper's apartment the smiles wouldn't leave our faces.

"They loved you." I murmured against his lips as I kissed and nipped softly, walking him carefully backwards towards his bedroom.

"Yeah, I think they did," Jasper replied quietly. It was left unsaid, what was hinted at and what was understood. It was too soon but we both knew it was there. And when we fell into bed together, laughing and grinning as we struggled out of our boots and socks, our jeans and shirts tangling around our limbs and holding us hostage, it was with love and lightness that we moved.

Kicking off pants and tugging off t-shirts, we both sighed as our skin finally met, clammy and warm and sticky. Perfect. We rolled together, the soft sheets of Jasper's bed wrapping around our legs until he was pinned beneath me and my mouth was attached to his nipple, flicking over his bud and wrapping around the steel of his piercing. The sounds of his moans and the way his lips parted to slip my name over his tongue and out into the night air was enough to have me rocking my erection against his thigh.

"God, baby. I want you so bad." Jasper's hands wove into my hair and tugged, urging me up his body until his mouth was on mine. Sucking my bottom lip between his own, his tongue flicked over it and his teeth bit softly at the flesh until I was writhing and gasping for air above him. "I need to be inside you, I need it more than anything."

Jasper pushed his hips towards mine, our aching erections, full and ready, rubbing deliciously together and coating the other in our precum. As he slid his tongue into my mouth, twisting it against my own tasting every inch of me, his fingers loosened in my hair, trailing down my back, over my ribs and hips until they squeezed roughly at the skin of my ass.

I was in ecstasy; my whole body was thrumming with electricity that only he had ever awakened in me. My heart was beating in my chest and my eyes were clenched tightly shut at the sensations of it all. No one else had ever made me feel this way; no one had even come close. Sex had felt good in the past, amazing even, but it was always just a means to an end. I fucked because I got fucking sick of jerking off in the shower and when I needed a different kind of release I picked up a guy in a bar, or a girl if there were no guys, and fucked them. I never let them get close enough for it to become more. Before Jasper it was about getting off. It was sex and sweat and the end product of it all. It was nothing.

With Jasper beneath me, his eyes boring into my soul every time they met mine and every inch of his skin and his touch burning through me it was fucking everything. He was everything. The connection between us was this palpable, tangible thing that I couldn't get enough of. I slowed our kisses and pulled away, stretching back to reach into Jasper's bedside drawer for the lube and a condom. When I sat upright again, my legs at either side of his hips he offered his hands to me, like a starving man pleading for bread, and at first I didn't know what he wanted.

Then it clicked. I uncapped the top of the lube bottle and squeezed it liberally over the fingers of both of his hands assuming one would go to my entrance and one would go to our aching dicks as they thrust together, searching for any friction they could find.

"Come here," Jasper whispered into the air. The room was cool around us and my heated flesh was grateful as tiny drips of sweat beaded on my throat and chest. The room was dark, but with the curtains left open the street lights outside lent their light to the room. I leaned forward, bracing my hands at the sides of his shoulders and moaned as he captured my mouth with his.

Both of his hands went to trace over the delicate skin of my entrance, his fingers skimming from either side as his palms pulled at my flesh, spreading me open above him. My body burned at the intrusion of his first digit as he pressed it slowly inside me. His mouth and tongue never let up, moving to my throat and jaw only when I was light headed and gasping for breath.

I rocked forward, pushing my cock against his and grinding down when our hard, slick skin met, then backward to push my ass further onto his teasing finger. As he added a second finger from the opposite hand and began to push them both inside and stretch me, readying me for him, I couldn't contain the growl of pleasure that erupted from my chest. His breath was panting across my neck in shallow, quick gasps as he nipped at my skin there.

"I'm ready." I moaned after he added a third finger, pushing all the way inside me before sliding out, his palms gripping my cheeks and squeezing rhythmically with every movement. Groaning at the feeling of loss and emptiness, I scooted backwards to allow Jasper the space to slide the condom over his length and ready himself for me.

Moving slowly, I lowered myself onto him until my ass was flush with his hips, the burn and stretch making me pant and hold myself steady to get used to the feeling of having all of him in me. After catching my breath, I started to move; I balanced my weight with my hands flat on Jasper's chest and lifted myself almost all of the way off of him before slowly sinking down and taking him deep inside me once again.

We were both groaning and whimpering at the sensations as we built up a rhythm, Jasper's hands on my hips helping guide my calculated movements above him. I felt so full, my body was his completely as he took over every part of me, my heart aching at the beauty of it all as he looked up into my eyes. He carefully shifted his weight, sitting up fully and leaning his back against the headboard, arms wrapping around me, face buried in the crook of my neck.

I moved one hand to grasp the headboard behind him, and wound one into his soft curls, damp with sweat and fucking perfectly wrapped around my fingers.

"It feels fucking unbelievable." I couldn't keep the words from bursting through my lips in quick gasps. "You're perfect. You're fucking perfect for me."

Feeling him gasp into the slippery skin of my neck, I could tell he was getting close, my words and my movements driving him closer and closer to his release.

"More," he panted.

Unsure whether he was referring to the words I had spoken into his ear or the lifting and dropping of my body, I kept up both. I placed my other hand on the headboard, using the bed for leverage and began to move faster, slamming down onto him again and again. I could feel my cock trapped between us, full and constantly dripping with precum, ready to fucking explode.

Moving my lips to the shell of his ear, I spoke. I didn't even know what I was saying, lost in the feeling of him licking at my collarbone, his fingers digging into the skin of my ass, helping lift me up and guide me down onto him.

"I love feeling you inside me. I ache every fucking day to have you so deep inside me." I panted, punctuating each word with with a nibble or a lick at his lobe. "I need to feel you come, are you getting close, love?"

He groaned so fucking loudly, louder than I'd ever heard him before, and I couldn't tell whether it was at my dirty words or the fact that the word 'love' had just fallen from my lips. I had no fucking idea where it'd come from but fuck if it didn't feel right.

"So close." Was his simple reply. He moved one hand from my hip to wrap his fist around my cock and with three quick pumps and a few more long thrusts we were coming. My whole body was spasming, clenching around him, as my orgasm ripped through me. I painted his hands and our chests with my cum as his cock pulsed deep inside me.

"Edward," Jasper roared as he stilled beneath me, his fingers on my hip gripping so tightly I knew my pale skin would be wearing his bruises for days. I shuddered at the thought; I'd wear them forever if he let me.

Heavy limbed and aching in all the right ways I lifted myself off of Jasper, rolling to the side and onto my back. My eyes fluttered closed only to open at the feeling of soft cotton wiping at my chest and my limp cock.

"Roll over," Jasper whispered almost soundlessly, cleaning me with the gentlest of touches as I did.

My breathing was slow and heavy and I barely stirred when he climbed into bed next to me and lay his head on my chest. Smiling sleepily I brought my arm up to wrap around him and felt him sigh against me.

"G'night, baby." He murmured, drawling lazily.

"Night, love."

Waking up in the early hours of the morning, the room still dusky and dark around us and the air freezing, was torture; I didn't want to move from the warmth of Jasper and the sheets that I was cocooned in. Knowing that I had to go into work and leave him sleeping peacefully made my heart feel lonely and aching and knowing that I wouldn't get a second to spend with Jasper in the next few days made my breath catch painfully in my throat.

I tore myself away from him, slipping out from behind him and gathering my things to leave. I pressed one last kiss to his temple, inhaling his scent greedily and praying it would stay deep within my lungs until I saw him again.

The hospital was still waking up as I arrived; tired nurses were waiting for the switch of shifts, most of the patients were still asleep and my sleepy eyes and slow steps looked perfectly in line with everything around me. A small smile found its way on to my face as I pushed through the door of my office and found a piping hot cup of coffee sitting on top of a high stack of texts and papers. It smelled fucking amazing and I slumped down into my seat and grabbed the steaming cup greedily.

After my first few sips, the black liquid coating my throat and sloshing in my empty stomach, waking me up a little with every taste on my tongue and every deep inhale through my nose, I noticed a note lying where my cup had been waiting for me.

'Late night? Thought you might need this. Jasper's a great guy. He's good for you.' Carlisle's writing was scrawling and scratchy. The sentiment in his words, the approval that I sought from him staring me in the face, made me smile widely. I was so fucking thankful to have these people in my life.

Picking up the ancient phone I dialled the number to his office and waited for him to answer.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for the coffee." He would know it was me from the husky, sleepiness still making my voice hoarse and thick. "And for the note." I added as an afterthought.

"Not a problem, son. I had a feeling you would be tired this morning." He chuckled into the receiver and it was loud and carefree in my ear. "You should bring Jasper over more often, Esme and I enjoyed getting to know him."

My heart fluttered at his words, his implying that we would be together in the future. It was a silly, little thing but it meant the fucking world to me to hear someone else say it.

"Yeah. I will."

"I meant what I wrote, Edward. That boy is good for you. I've never seen you smile so much, I've never known you to laugh like that before. He's bringing you back to life." Carlisle was intelligent and well respected amongst his peers and colleagues. He didn't mince his words and he never wasted his time saying something he didn't mean. To hear him speak so highly of Jasper and of our relationship had me fucking speechless; I didn't even know how to respond to him.

"I know." Was all I could find to say. We ended our phone call with a promise to get together for coffee soon and I settled in to work away the hours as quickly as possible.

Surgery after surgery, meeting after meeting, endless piles of paperwork and terrified interns to watch over kept me busy for the next three days. I slept in the on-call room more than I slept at home and ate in the overpriced cafeteria more than my own kitchen. I missed Jasper, his texts and short phone calls keeping me going but not lessening the burn I felt for him. I truly ached to be near him again and I was counting down the minutes until we could see each other.

'I miss you,' one text message read. 'Thinking of you, baby.' 'I wish you were here.' His words had me yearning for him, for a quick minute to press my tired body against him and feel him lend me his strength to get through the remaining hours, for the chance to press my lips against his and taste him on my tongue. Fuck, how I missed him.

After my last shift at the hospital, I showered and dressed in record time, anxious to get to the bar to meet Jasper. We had arranged to meet at his work and go to his place for a late dinner. We both had the next day off and planned to spend it lazing around the apartment, sleeping in and relaxing together. If Jasper felt anything like I was feeling, he'd be happy enough to stay in bed all day, seeing no one but each other, doing nothing but spending time together.

My hair was still damp and I could feel the cold wind drying it at wild angles as I hurried down the pavement towards the bar. Al's was dingy and dark, smoky and seedy but when I pushed through the heavy door from the street it felt like walking into fucking heaven.

Not seeing Jasper straight away, I took a seat at the bar to wait for him. The place was pretty busy and I settled in to watch the game on the big screen in the corner. A waitress took my order for a beer and told me Jasper was just finishing in the basement and would be up any minute as she slid the cold bottle in front of me. Squinting my tired eyes at the TV screen I shuddered when I felt the hair on my arms and at the nape of my neck stand on end.

"Waiting for your boyfriend, pretty boy?" I could hear the slur in James' speech and kept my eyes to the front. "He'll get bored of you soon enough."

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about." I didn't turn to address him but felt him move closer behind me, the stench of stale beer on his breath washing over the back of my neck.

"What can you possibly give him that he can't get anywhere else? He'll get tired of that prissy little ass of yours and when he comes looking for a real man, guess who'll be waiting?"

"Stay the fuck away from him." I tried to keep my voice steady, steeled against the anger whirling in my stomach but I could hear it wavering on the last word.

"I wont go near him, sweetheart. But I certainly won't turn him away when he comes begging me to take care of him."

Before I could even turn around he was staggering off. I took a deep breath and brought my hands up to rub at my face. His words resonated through my head and I had to fight to remind myself that Jasper wanted to be with me. Deep down I knew that he was mine, and I his, but with James' sneers fresh in my mind I was struggling to gain composure and remember this.

My whole body heaved in relief when I felt Jasper's hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently. Opening my eyes to look up at him, I wasn't met with the soft, blue eyes I was used to but with dark eyes, stormy and hard, and a look of pure fury on his face.

"What the fuck did he say to you?" His voice was strained; hard and sharp. He could see my mouth open to protest, to defend him and make light of the situation. He knew me well, and he knew how much I would hate to see him upset or angry. My heart ached in my chest and my pulse raced as my eyes flitted over Jasper's beautiful face. His jaw was clenched and his brows furrowed. Even in his fury he was stunning. "What did he say?"

"That you would get bored of me and he would be waiting when you begged him to take care of you." I gulped, swallowing hard as I watched his eyes darken further. "Forget about it, he's not fucking worth it. I don't believe a fucking word he said."

Jasper's eyes softened as he looked down into my eyes, my heart was thundering and my breath coming in shallow pants. Pressing a kiss against my lips and taking my hand from the bar to squeeze it firmly, I thought he would just let it slide, that he would gulp down a beer and we would forget about the whole thing.

"I'll be right back." Jasper pushed away from the bar and in the direction that James had taken and I fucking cursed myself for telling him what he said.

Jasper wasn't a violent person, he didn't have a vicious bone in his body and was the epitome of calm and level headedness. It only made me more anxious that this wasn't like him at all; he was out of his element. I worried what he would do when he met up with James. I worried for his job if he were to cause a scene when the bar was full of customers and I worried that James, drunk and stupid, would hurt Jasper when confronted.

My head and my heart were at war with each other; my head telling me to let Jasper handle this, he would be fine and wouldn't want me trying to come to his rescue, my heart telling me I would never fucking forgive myself if I stood back while something happened to Jasper because of me.

Only minutes after Jasper had walked away I was pushing through the crowds and towards the back of the bar in search of my boyfriend and my fucking sanity. I was met with a brick wall and tugged at my hair in frustration, only noticing the door off to my left when I hung my head and groaned in defeat.

When I opened the door to the staffroom and looked inside my heart fucking stopped, fluorescent lights blinded me and caused me to squint into the room until my eyes could adjust and I could make out the scene before me. Relief flooded my whole body as I saw that Jasper was unharmed, his back was to me as he leaned against the wall in front of him, arms braced and holding his weight. I was so grateful to see him that I didn't notice anything else. I didn't notice the hands around his hips, the leg between his legs and the face pressed up against his, lips smashing together. I didn't notice how James' eyes were wide open, staring at me over Jasper's shoulder as his mouth molded to my boyfriend's. Until it was all I could see.

I couldn't stay there. I couldn't stand by and watch another man kiss and touch _my_ man. I spun around, yanking on the door, almost falling through it in my haste to get away. I moved as quickly as my shaky legs could carry me.

"Edward. Wait." his voice was drowned out by the blood pounding in my ears as I pushed through the crowds, weaving around tables and chairs, between raucous laughter and roaring cheers until I was out of the bar, chest heaving and fists clenching in the cold, black night.

**Don't hate me. Just have a little faith in me and our boys and know that I wont draw it out.**

**Thank you so much to everybody who reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate every single one of you. Please let me know how I did with this one.**

**Have you checked out my lovely oneshot Masterpiece yet? Thanks to everyone who has already read and reviewed and to everyone who voted for me in the contest. I'm so honoured to have taken first place.**

**The Quickie Contest is now open for voting so go and pick out your three favourite stories. The link is on my profile.**

**As ever, massive thanks to my wonderful beta, harrytwifan. I couldn't do it without you, girl.**

**I'll try to be quick with the next chapter; I hate being left with angsty cliffies too. xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sleeves Chapter Fourteen**

JPOV

"Edward. Wait." I spun around faster than I thought I was capable of, pushing James off of me, slamming him into the wall behind him and losing my balance in the process. My hip caught painfully on the edge of the table and my eyes and jaw clenched simultaneously at the sharp stab of pain. It didn't matter.

My heart was pounding, hammering, in my chest and my stomach was rolling sickeningly. Even just the thought of being so close to James, of him touching me and forcing his lips against mine, had me nauseous and heaving. Knowing that Edward had seen it all forced me to stop in my tracks to catch my breath, swallowing back the bile that threatened to purge from my body at any minute.

How could I have been so stupid? My anger at that bastard almost crippled me where I stood and I wanted nothing more than to turn around and fucking kill him, like I should have done in the first place. But Edward was out there, thinking God only knows what about me and I had to get to him.

I pushed my way through the hoards of people watching the game, drinking happily and my heart almost beat out of my chest when I caught a glimpse of bronze hair through the smoky haze as Edward barrelled out of the door. My hip throbbed painfully with every step I took. But every step was worth it. Every step took me a step closer to Edward and I would suffer through anything to get to him.

Praying to God that I wasn't too late, that he hadn't caught a cab or taken a corner off the street, I hardly realized I was chanting pleas to myself, to anyone that was listening. What would I do if I couldn't catch up to him? What was I going to do? My eyes felt wild and unfocused and I knew I looked crazy. Shit, I felt crazy.

I clenched my teeth against the pain and the panic rising in my throat and forced my way out of the bar. The night was pitch black, heavy rain clouds threatening to burst at any minute hung low overhead and the ice cold chill in the air had me shivering as soon as I stepped out of the building. I couldn't have cared less if I froze to death out there, I just had to get to Edward. Every part of me was focused on finding him; I wouldn't have noticed if it had started hail I was so fixated.

Scanning my eyes left and right, flitting desperately along the dark street, I couldn't see anything. Did I go to his apartment? The hospital? Did I dare to hope he had gone to my place? Defeat and utter heartbreak made the blood in my veins feel like lead, weighing me down and slowing my every movement.

"Edward," I whispered into the night, my knees nearly giving out beneath me as desperation took over. Turning to make my way towards my apartment a movement caught my eye. He was leaning heavily against the cold brick of the building, cast in shadows, chest heaving and eyes squeezed shut. He looked broken. And haunted. And beautiful.

My heart broke at the expression of pain and anguish marring his perfect features and before I even knew what I was doing my legs had carried me to stand before him. Dropping to my knees at his feet and gripping onto his hips, his thighs with everything I had, I begged for his forgiveness. For the chance to explain myself and for his understanding. I couldn't even censor the words spilling out of my mouth, I could have been saying anything and I wouldn't have been able to stop. My lips were moving faster than my brain could keep up and I just had to hope the right thing came out.

"Baby, it's not what you think. I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm so fucking sorry." my breaths were coming in short, panicked gulps. Every word was wavering, my voice cracking.

When his emerald green eyes blinked open and fell on me, I felt as though my whole fucking world fell apart. His eyes were tortured. Dark and empty. I couldn't look away. Even though seeing them like that almost killed me, I couldn't drop his gaze. It reminded me so much of how he looked the night I met him in the bar. Hurt and broken. Empty. Closed off.

"It wasn't what you think," I whispered, almost believing he would push me off of him and walk away.

When he crouched low before me and took my hands in his I wanted to melt into his arms. When he squeezed my fingers gently I wanted to pull him to me and never let go. I would never let go. And when he spoke, his words were soft, making my whole body shudder, his eyes unsure yet unfaltering. I could see the battle warring behind them. I could feel his struggle and everything it took for him to come to me.

"If you say it wasn't how it seemed then I believe you, love." His voice was hoarse, the pain he was feeling evident in every single word spoken. I felt my eyes mist over as his words seeped into me, under my skin and into my soul. He believed me? "Come on. You're freezing. We need to get you home. We need to talk about this."

Edward's arms were around my waist, pulling me against his side and leading me towards my apartment. I couldn't hold back the hiss of pain as my hip ached at my movements. Edward held me closer to him and moved quickly towards my home. I couldn't see through the unshed tears in my eyes and I couldn't breath through the tightness in my chest. I didn't notice anything on the short walk to my apartment but the feel of Edward's strong hold around me and his breath close to my ear. I was surprised when he pulled me up the stairs and I found myself at my front door.

His eyes wouldn't meet mine as he dug his shaking hand into my front pocket to retrieve my key. His fingers were trembling as he pushed it into the lock and his shoulders were tense as he opened the door and entered before me.

"I don't know what to say. My head is screaming at me to leave, to get it through my thick skull that I just saw another man's lips on yours and that I should know better than to let you explain your way out of it." Never turning to face me as he spoke, his voice was thick and heavy. His shoulders were trembling, his arms wrapped tightly around himself and it took every ounce of strength in my weary body to not go to him, to not fold myself around him and bury my face in his hair in comfort.

I didn't know if I was allowed to touch him, if I'd ever be allowed to again, and the thought had my skin crawling and my hands literally twitching to just do it, just reach out. The pain in his voice and the sincerity of his words cut me deeply and I vowed to myself that James would pay for what he did to him. To us. I knew what it must have looked like to Edward, to see me standing there in that room with James pressed against me, and I knew how difficult it was for Edward to place his trust in me in the first place. It could be a losing battle, but if I had to fight for the rest of my life to prove to him that he was wrong, that it was him I wanted, I would do it and never look back.

"Maybe James was right the whole time?"

"No, baby. No." I pleaded for him to ignore the little voice in his head.

"Please. Let me finish." he turned to me, his eyes red rimmed and tearing up. He looked heartbroken and I couldn't hold his gaze as my own eyes burned and filled to overflowing.

I waited, my whole body trembling, for him to tell me he just couldn't ignore what his head was telling him and that he couldn't forgive or forget what he saw. Moving closer to me, stepping forward until our toes were touching Edward raised a shaking hand to swipe away a tear from my cheek with the pad of his thumb and curl his fingers around my jaw. I was desperate for any kind of touch from him, for any affection he was willing to give me and my skin tingled, burned, where his skin touched mine.

"But my heart? My heart knows I can't live without you now. It knows you would never hurt me and that you would never betray me. I'm going against everything I want to feel, everything I should be feeling, to stand back and say I know that whatever you tell me will be the truth and that I have faith in you. For the first time in my life I have faith. In us. My heart won't let me let you go."

His whole body broke on the last word, a choking sob erupting from his chest and travelling up his throat, his shoulders shaking and the tears from his eyes spilling down his cheeks and dripping off the end of his chin. I wrapped my arms around him, cradling to him as we shook together.

The relief I felt was overwhelming. It forced me to my knees and had my hands tugging Edward down with me without conscious thought. When our lips met, wet and salty with our tears, I couldn't hold back the sob that almost choked me. Pressing firm kisses to his lips, his jaw, his flushed cheeks and heavy eyelids, anything my mouth could reach, I shook, nonsensical ramblings falling from my lips whenever they weren't held against him.

"I'd never hurt you, baby. I promise I'll never hurt you."

"I know. Deep down I really do know that."

I swallowed my pride. I didn't care if it was too early or if it wasn't the right time, the worlds left me before I could catch them.

I whispered against his mouth, my fingers grappling to get hold of the skin at his back. "I, I lo-"

"I know." he cut me off, unable to hear it yet. I didn't care as long as he understood. "I know."

"I'm so sorry, baby. I wasn't thinking straight."

Pulling me tightly against him, both of us on our knees on the cold floor of my hallway, he held me closer than he ever had before. Closer than I ever thought possible.

"You need to tell me what happened, love. I'm going out of my mind." His voice was strained and I could see that as much as he was willing to believe me, he needed to know the truth. He needed to hear what happened and know that he had made the right decision in trusting me. Loosening his hold on my body, his hands slipping from their grip around my neck where they anchored me to him, he tugged at my hands and helped me to stand. "Come on."

We settled onto my couch, the familiar creaks of leather and the worn grooves momentarily calming me. Edward snapped on a lamp before he took his position at the corner of the sofa, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. His outward actions showed his utter vulnerability, and his eyes were still desperate and pleading. I couldn't stand to not be near him, the electricity running through my veins crackling and sparking whenever I got within touching distance.

Sitting as close to him as possible I stretched out my legs , forcing him between them, and pulled his calves to rest over my thighs. When he lifted his head to look me in the eye, the briefest hint of a smile on his lips, I could see how grateful he was for the contact. He needed it as much as I did.

"I wanted to kill him." I whispered, dropping his gaze in my shame. I felt like a monster. "I saw him standing so close to you, whispering in your ear and I just knew he was filling your head with poison. I have never felt anger like that before. I didn't even recognize myself."

Edwards hands wrapped firmly around mine, only then making me aware of how badly mine were trembling. The fury I felt earlier had been eclipsed, completely forgotten, when the fear of losing Edward had been so real, but it was building again as I remembered how I'd felt when I saw him so close to my Edward. The rage I'd felt had consumed me and all I could think about was getting to James and teaching him a lesson. Hurting him.

"I went after him to hurt him. I told him before that if he ever spoke to you again I would fucking end him and it was all I could think about." I felt sick at myself and the way I'd let my emotions get the better of me. "I only got to the room seconds before you did, I looked all over for him, and when I opened that door and saw him standing there, smirking at me I could have murdered him right there and then."

Edwards fingers moved to my chin, lifting it so he could see my eyes. He held my gaze and picked up my hands again, rubbing comforting circles over my knuckles. Here I was, admitting to him that I could have killed a man and all he wanted to do was comfort me. He saved lives every day and he could sit there and listen to me as I spoke about wanting to end a man's life. I didn't deserve him. He was good and pure. He was smart and kind. And what had I proved myself to be? Quick to anger and quick to act? I was an idiot.

"He was swaying where he stood and something stopped me. I knew in the back of my mind that I would lose my job if I started something but that wasn't what stopped me. I knew I wouldn't be able to face you if I did hurt him, I wanted you to be able to be proud of me. I wanted to be a man deserving of you."

"I am proud of you, love. I'm proud of everything you do." I felt like my heart stopped beating, like the breath was ripped from my chest, as his emerald green eyes gazed in to mine, shining with pride. And love.

"I wanted to make him ache. So I did the only thing I could think of; I went to him. I approached him, licking my lips and catching his gaze. I smiled at him all seductive like. And I leaned in as close as I could force myself to get and lowered my mouth to his ear." The memory of the stale smell of beer rolling off him in waves and the nausea that hit as soon as I got close to him, made me swallow thickly, my stomach rolling uncomfortably. "I told him I was going to change his life. That everything would be different now. I knew he would think I'd changed my mind and I wanted him like he'd always hoped. He had no idea I was threatening his life, fucking promising myself that I would never get this close to him again, that he would pay for what he did."

Edward's eyes had never once left mine and they widened more with every word I said. I could see the relief, plain as day, written on his face as I told him how I'd planned to give James a taste of his own medicine. I wanted to get close to him and show him exactly what he would never have then calmly tell him if he went near Edward again I'd kill him.

"When the door started to push open, I lifted my arms to push myself off of the wall and away from him but before I could even react he had wrapped himself around me and had smashed his mouth into mine. I don't know if he knew it was you or if he just knew this would be his last chance to touch me. He just moved so quickly."

As if my explanation made perfect sense, Edward nodded along with me as I spoke. The simple act of him believing me had my heart almost bursting out of my chest. His faith in me was astounding and the trust he had in me made me feel like the man I had always wanted to be.

Pulling him toward me, my hand firm on the back of his neck, my body scooting forward until his legs were draped over my thighs, I kissed him. My tongue was tracing his, my body reacting to him in the way it always did. The way it always would. Our movements were slow and steady, sliding and soft. When my heart raced and my head lightened at the lack of oxygen, I pulled back and looked into Edward's green eyes.

The relief and fear and panic I was feeling had adrenaline pumping through my tired body and as I looked up at him I was suddenly more overwhelmed than I'd ever felt before. My body started shuddering, tears once again filling my eyes and silently dripping down my face.

"When I saw you leave the room, I was so scared, baby. I didn't know if you'd believe me. Hell, I didn't even know if you'd let me explain."

Edward's hands came up to my face, wiping tenderly at the tears and pressing his lips to every inch of my skin. Between pecks to my cheeks and eyes he whispered words of his faith in me, of how even though everything he's ever learned had him convinced I would leave, his heart wouldn't let him believe it. His own tears, heavy and cleansing fell against mine as we held on to each other with everything we had, Edward practically perched in my lap, our arms wrapped around each other and our faces pressed together.

It was too much. The relief, the fear, the anger, the love. It was all too much and we both struggled to catch our breaths.

"Thank you." I breathed, warm panting breaths against his face.

"Thank _you_, love." I couldn't understand what he could possibly have to thank me for and the confusion must have shown on my face. "Thank you for showing me that faith and trust can be rewarded, not thrown back in my face as I've always known. Thank you for giving me something to believe in and thank you so fucking much for not walking away from me. I can't lose you, Jasper."

"I'll never walk away from you."

"When everyone I have ever loved has left me, you have no idea what that means to me."

"I'm here, baby. I'm not leaving, I promise you."

We shed our clothes with gentle touches and whispered words until Edward was laying flush against me as I sprawled out on the couch beneath him. Our kisses were constant, tongues searching and sliding and lips always in motion and our hands never left each other's bodies. Always caressing and teasing, speaking the words that we were yet to say with our mouths.

Moving down my body, Edward covered every inch in kisses, flicking his tongue against my skin and nipping gently. He followed the lines of my tattoos over my biceps and then travelled towards my stomach, dipping his tongue into my navel and laughing so softly as I arched my back and silently begged for more.

I flinched back when he reached the bruise on my hip. The skin around my hipbone was already purple and angry but his cool breaths blowing softly over my flesh relaxed me. I could see the Doctor in him come out as he looked intently at the bruise. When he skipped over it without another word and moved to trail his tongue down the inside of my thigh I knew it was nothing to worry about.

The feather-light touches of Edward's fingertips across my legs were causing goosebumps to erupt and cover my whole body. I leaned up on my elbows just as his mouth finished it's journey back up the inside of my thigh and covered the head of my aching cock. My mouth hung open and my head hung back and I couldn't help the keening moans coming from deep in my throat. Everything he did to me felt like the first time. Everything felt so incredible and it wasn't long before I was arching my back, my fingers clinging to his strong shoulders as I came in long spurts down his throat.

Pulling Edward up my body and moaning when his mouth met mine and I could taste myself on his lips, I kissed him with everything I had. I ran one hand up and down the dewy skin of his back and slid to my side to face him. I could feel the steel hardness of his erection against my limp, sated dick and began to shimmy down towards it but before I could trail my lips further than his chest he was stopping me with a hand on my jaw.

"Please, love, just kiss me. I need to feel your lips." Never able to deny this beautiful man anything, I crushed my lips to his, our kisses intense at first then simmering off until we were languidly moving our tongues against each other's and enjoying the slow burn of our movements.

Entwining my fingers with his, Edward moved our joined hands down his body to wrap around his length.

"Touch me, Jasper." He pleaded, lifting his face away from mine to look into my eyes. I'd never seen the green of his eyes so dark. The passion filling them was incredible.

We moved our hands over his cock, slowly and smoothly. Each time I flicked our wrists over his aching head his breath would catch in his throat. The feeling of his hot flesh in my hand and his breathy moans in my ear were enough to have me semi-hard and rocking against him. Letting go of his hold on my hand, Edward's fingers went to wrap around my bicep, feeling my muscles clench with every stroke and around my neck, holding my face to his as we explored each other's mouths.

I increased my pace, feeling the clenching of the hard muscles of his abdomen against my forearm and hearing the gasps of my name as he buried his face in my neck. I moaned with him, long and low, as I felt the first spurts of his cum coating my fingers and stomach. Watching Edward ride out his orgasm, his teeth biting down onto my shoulder and his hips thrusting with my every stroke, I couldn't help but thank god that I was lucky enough to be here doing this with him after everything that we'd been through tonight.

"Fuck, Jasper. Fucking hell, baby. Feels so good." My mouth found his as his string of expletives left his lips and I crushed myself against him, holding him as tight as I could. He seemed to sense my desperation and gripped onto me with every ounce of strength he had in his sated body.

No other words needed to be spoken. We knew where we stood and we knew how we felt. As we wrapped ourselves around each other under the cold sheets of my bed we both sighed quietly, contentedly. Tonight had been the most terrifying night I'd ever had, the fear of losing Edward greater than anything I'd ever known, but I knew we were stronger now because of it. Our trust in one another was insurmountable. And our love? Our love was growing by the second.

**Are we friends again? **

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews, alerts and favourites. They all mean so much to me.**

**Sorry the review replies aren't out for the last chapter yet, I thought you would rather have a new chapter than a new message but I'll get to them this week.**

**Thanks sfm to my incredible beta, harrytwifan. The support and encouragement you give me make me a better writer. Thank you.**

**Let me know what you thought. Does that make up for the last chapter?**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sleeves Chapter Fifteen**

**I didn't think a warning was necessary, but just in case you've stumbled across this fic accidentally: This story contains lovely, lemony slash! If it's not your thing please don't read. I would hate to be called a kinky bitch again... Wait, who am I kidding? I loved it!**

EPOV

My heart was racing, hammering in my chest and my mind was going a mile a minute. The early morning was still dark and every breath I took in the freezing room felt ice cold, sharp and stabbing in my chest. I had tossed and turned most of the night, unable to keep from dragging my fingers through my hair, scratching at my stubbled jaw and kicking my feet restlessly in an attempt to find comfort until Jasper had draped himself over me in his sleep and I had forced myself to stay still and allow him peace. Bringing my hand down again and again to run my fingers through his messy curls as his head lay heavy on my chest calmed me and in the recent hours had allowed me peace enough to think.

Jasper loved me. He was _in_ love with me. My heart felt as though it would overflow with fucking happiness or beat its way out of my chest every time I thought about it. To know he felt the same way about me as I did about him was more than I ever could have wished for. I was so fucking in love with him that I could hardly bear it. My self-loathing, my insecurities and my pain fell at the wayside, overshadowed by the strength of my feelings for Jasper. And yet, I couldn't tell him. I couldn't say the words out loud almost as much as I couldn't hear them falling from his perfect, pink lips. We both knew why. Why I wasn't ready to admit these new feelings, and him not forcing the conversation was a testament to his love for me and his patience. It showed me how much Jasper truly knew me.

It had been days since I'd walked out of Al's bar with my heart breaking and every muscle and sinew in my body tensing to run. What I had seen of Jasper and James had shook me to the core and I still didn't know where I'd found the strength to trust Jasper so implicitly. The subsequent fight and make up were over and I couldn't shake the guilt that was eating away at me over depriving Jasper of the words he so desperately wanted, needed, to hear.

As my mind went over and over my lack of courage and my selfishness, the hours of the night and my chance at sleep slipped away from me. Counting my love's heavy heartbeats against my chest, the only thing I could be certain of was that if I couldn't tell him, if I couldn't whisper the words in his ear and watch the way his eyes would shine and his whole face would light up, I had to show him every single day how much he meant to me. I had to make him know, make him absolutely certain, that I loved him. I had to take care of him. I had to make his life the fullest it could possibly be.

Curling myself around Jasper's warm body, I forced my eyes closed and tried to shut off my brain. My body was begging for rest but sleep didn't want to come and I knew the more I tried the more aggravated I'd get when I just couldn't fall asleep. I felt him stirring above me as I tried to settle, his arms tightening around my waist, short, blunt fingernails scratching at the skin of my ribs and a low, rumbling moan vibrating through my chest from his.

"Can't sleep, baby?" Jasper murmured groggily, his face still buried in my chest and his fingers still trailing over my abdomen in completely distracting ways. My mind may have been unsure, unresolved, but my body was certain about what it desired, reacting to Jasper's throaty voice and electrifying touches almost instantly.

"It's OK, love. Go back to sleep."

Squeezing me gently, he pushed himself up on his arms, sleep still grasping at his body. He blinked slowly, his beautiful blue eyes struggling to open and looked down at me with concern.

"Is there something wrong?" His eyes widened slightly, taking in my appearance. I wondered what I must have looked like. Exhausted? Conflicted? "You haven't slept."

"Just thinking." I turned my head to the side, pressing my face into the cool pillow and opened my arms to him, hoping he'd take my invitation to lie back down against me and forget about everything else.

"Come on, baby. Don't keep this from me." Jasper's voice was quiet, clear and laced with a subtle pain that I couldn't ignore; I had to tell him what was on my mind, if only to appease his. I shifted my body to sit up more and watched as he dropped his gaze to the centre of my chest. I was glad, in that moment, that the room was still too dark for me to make out his features properly; I couldn't take it if I saw the pain that was sure to be swimming in his eyes. "Please."

"Come here," I sat up straighter and pressed my back against the headboard, making enough space for Jasper as he moved his body to sit beside me. Pulling the blankets up over us, covering most of our chests and warding off the cold air, I turned to him. "It's nothing to worry about, love. I just, I just want to look after you."

Even through the darkness I could catch the glimpse of confusion behind his eyes. Pulling his hand towards mine and engulfing it in my own, enjoying the warmth that spread through my body when his fingers wrapped tightly around mine, I went on before he could speak.

"I don't want you to go back to work at the bar." His fingers stilled, the soothing circles they were drawing over my knuckles stopping as soon as my words met the cold air of the bedroom. "I don't want you to ever need to be in the same fucking room as James," I sneered his name, anger still flooding my veins when I though about him. "I don't want him to have the chance to ever get that close to you again."

"You don't trust me?" Jasper sounded incredulous, as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth.

"Of course I do. I just don't trust him."

A gust of air left Jasper's throat and his grip loosened slightly on my fingers. I couldn't tell if it was relief or anger directing his actions.

"I need that job, Edward. I still need to support my family, and myself. I can't afford to find a new job that can give me the cash I earn now and the time I need to spend on my art. I thought you knew this?"

I was quick to answer, hoping to make him see that I was only trying to help him and to ease the anger that was forming in the line of his jaw and the clench of his teeth.

"I'll help you, love. I'll give you the money you'd need, for your mom and for yourself. You could pay me back if you like but I wouldn't need you to. You could focus on your art and your show and you wouldn't need to work late nights or be around that bastard any more."

The more I spoke, the more I could see it in my head; I could come home at night to Jasper in my house, our house, and he wouldn't need to leave to go to work. He wouldn't have to worry about money or fitting in his art and we could have so much more time together. I don't know why I hadn't thought about this before.

I couldn't understand when Jasper let my hand slip to the sheets below, or when he pushed back the blankets and started to move from the bed. My stomach dropped and a cold sweat began to bead in my palms, my heart beating out it's panicked rhythm as I watched him move farther from me.

"I'm not a charity case." His voice was strained, his body rigid as he moved around the room collecting clothing and shoes.

"I know that. That's not what I meant." I moved to kneel on the bed, I couldn't let him leave without sorting this out. I couldn't let him leave being mad at me. "I just want to help you. Support you."

Jasper stopped in his tracks, looking vulnerable and young as he gripped his shirt and pants in front of his strong body. The darkness had eased some as the morning grew on and I could make out the goosebumps raising on his skin, as I could feel mine being brought on by the freezing air. He took a step towards me, his eyes boring into mine, and a tiny smile forced onto his lips.

"I just need to clear my head, OK? We'll talk about this later. I don't want to fight with you, baby, but I don't want to say something I'll regret." Taking another step towards me he held out his hand for mine, squeezing my fingers gently and placing a soft kiss on my knuckles when I lifted my hand into his.

"Aren't you flying home today? Don't leave like this, love. Please?" The panic was beginning to rise in my chest. I didn't' know what I'd done wrong but I had to fix this. He couldn't be in Texas and be mad at me. He couldn't be halfway across the country without letting me fix this.

"I'm not going home. I cancelled so you wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving alone." With a small shrug and a final squeeze of my hand, he turned to leave. My heart sank into my toes at the thought of him leaving to think things over at the same time as it wanted to soar at his hope of spending Thanksgiving with me. The conflict felt like it was ripping my heart in two.

When he reached the door, Jasper stopped to look back over his shoulder towards me. His eyes were guarded and I couldn't get a read on him at all. How badly had I fucked up? Shaking my head at myself and my fucking stupidity, I let my hands fall to my lap and my eyes follow them.

"Hey?" My head shot up at the sound of his voice, rough and thick and fucking perfect. "We'll be OK." Holding my gaze until I nodded my understanding, he closed the door softly behind him.

Lying back down in the cold, empty bed, my mind raced more than it had all night and my head pounded with my lack of sleep. I listened to Jasper moving around the apartment as I tried, unsuccessfully, to control my breathing. My lungs were pulling air in at an alarming rate and I felt like I just couldn't keep up. When I heard the front door open and close quietly I couldn't help the sharp ache that caught in my chest and I closed my eyes against the pain and my own self-loathing. I didn't have a clue what I was doing.

When I opened my eyes again the whole room was bright, cheerful, and I felt like a fucking fraud lying here surrounded by the light of the yellow sun and the vibrant colors of Jasper's work stacked up against the walls. My head felt clearer and I lay still for the first few minutes after I woke, just going over our conversation again and again. I could see how Jasper would think I was treating him like charity but I really just wanted to help him.

I needed to get this sorted out before I went fucking crazy. After showering and dressing I left the bedroom and made my way into the tiny kitchen. The apartment was still cool and my sockless feet were freezing on the cold tile as I moved towards the sink. A flash of color caught my eye and I stopped in my tracks, feeling the frown on my face as I made out the bright yellow post-it note stuck to the coffee maker. Smiling as I read Jasper's scrawl, I relished the way my heart felt lighter already.

'Coffee is ready to go and left over bacon is in the fridge. I'm working til 4 so I'll see you when you get off tonight. Love, J. x'

I made my coffee and warmed up my bacon. The place was so quiet without Jasper around and I felt pretty fucking lonely sitting on the couch all by myself. The only consolation I had was that Jasper couldn't be too angry at me if he made me coffee and breakfast. My thoughts were all over the place and although I knew I needed to apologize to Jasper for earlier, I couldn't completely pinpoint what I did that was so wrong.

Reaching for the phone, I took a deep breath and dialled, preparing to swallow my words and be wholly reprimanded for my idiocy. After a few rings, his voice was loud and clear on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

"Carlisle, I need a favor." After discussing my plans with Carlisle and thanking him much more than was really necessary for his help, he was more than happy to pass me over to his wife to advise me on my 'boy troubles.'

"Edward, dear. Happy Thanksgiving." Her voice was warm and sweet, as usual, and I felt comforted before I'd even spoken. Esme just had a certain way about her; she was motherly and kind. Wise.

"You too, Esme. How are things coming together?"

"Oh, Edward. Don't beat around the bush. Do you really care about how my turkey is cooking or do you have something on your mind?" Her tone was reprimanding and my face heated at being caught out. She knew me so well, and for a second it was easy to believe I was going to my own mom with my problems. She would have been just like Esme when it came to me; fierce and impassioned. Protective and loving.

"How do you do that?" I laughed deeply into the phone. It felt good to smile with her; I needed it.

"Call it woman's intuition. Now, spill."

Chuckling through my first few words, I got straight to the point, just as Esme asked. I told her about my worry at not being able to tell Jasper I loved him and about my resolve to show him in other ways how I felt about him. I told her I wanted to look after him and that I offered to lend him money so he could give up his job. She scoffed and tutted at the appropriate times and when I had finished I waited with slumped shoulders for her to tell me what I did wrong.

"Jasper is a fiercely independent young man. He has supported his family by his own means for years without anyone's help and you expected him to just give in and allow you to do it for him? You have a lot to learn, dear. He didn't even want to accept my help in finding him a suitable gallery and you thought he would be OK with you giving him money for nothing?"

I could see her point now. It took Esme to tell me for me to figure it out, but I think I understood now. Jasper provided for his family, he had done so for years and he was proud of it. He was loyal and protective of his place in his family and he wanted to be the one to help them. Not me. He wanted to do it himself. And if it meant him going to work next to James everyday, so be it. I might not like it, but as long as it was what Jasper wanted, it was what he would have. I needed to support him no matter what he chose to do.

"I get that now. I just didn't know how else to show him. I don't know how to do this." Sighing quietly, I squeezed my eyes closed and raised my hand to rub at them. I thought I was doing the right thing and all I ended up doing was upsetting Jasper.

"Your heart was in the right place. You're a good boy and Jasper knows this. He knows _you_. Just give him space to be himself and be there to support him when he needs it. That's all anyone can ask of their partner."

"Thank you." I whispered ardently.

"And Edward, you need to tell that boy that you love him. That you're there for him. Saying the words won't change anything between you, but not saying them might." Her voice was fierce, she knew what she was saying was right and she wanted to make me believe her too. I didn't feel like I had a choice.

"Esme, I'm going to need your help."

-s-

My fingers were trembling, the bundle of wildflowers I was gripping were shaking in my grasp. The day had turned bright and beautiful, although the wind was still cold and bitter, and I wrapped my spare arm around my chest to keep out the wind a bit. As I paced the pavement in front of Al's, the butterflies in my stomach felt as though they would bring me to my knees.

Every time the door swung open my heart leapt in my chest. It was 4:05pm and in the last fifteen minutes what felt like dozens of people came out of the bar. The guys mostly gave me sympathetic looks, one even going as far as murmuring about me giving women an unrealistic ideal, and the ladies that passed by gave me looks that ranged from adoration to pure lust. None of which helped my nerves. When James scurried past me with a black eye and a nasty shiner on his jaw I felt no pity for him. I was still too angry to even care about what happened to him. He certainly didn't stick around for another chat.

I hoped Jasper would react well to me surprising him. We hadn't spoken since he left early this morning and I didn't know where his mind would be when he saw me. By 4:15 I was starting to worry, sweat slicking my palms and my eyes dancing from person to person on the street. I thought he had maybe left through a back door and I'd missed him completely. Just as I went to pull open the door and march inside, it was pushed towards me. Jasper stepped into the cold afternoon, huddled up in his coat and scarf, his eyes trained on the pavement at his feet.

He almost stumbled as I stepped out in front of him, his head snapping upwards and eyes widening almost immediately. His beautiful mouth pulled up into a slow smile and his eyes brightened as they looked into mine. He looked tired and worn out and I knew I'd made the right decision in meeting him here.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" He asked, his eyes bright as he seemed to speak the first thing that popped into his head.

I just nodded, reaching out my hand and offering him the flowers, with a smile. "I wanted to spend the day with my family." I spoke deliberately, desperate for him to get the meaning of my words and watching him for signs that he did.

He stepped closer to me, taking the flowers from my hand and lifting them to his face. "You mean me?" He spoke over the flowers, his grin huge and happy. "They're beautiful."

"Yeah." I purposefully answered both statements, pulling Jasper to me by my hand on his hip and feeling my own smile tug at the corners of my lips when I felt him melt into me, his body aligning perfectly with mine. My nose buried in his curls and my arms wrapped around him firmly, holding him to me as his arms wrapped around my neck. "I'm so fucking sorry, love. I didn't think. I'm sorry."

"It's OK. We're OK. Let's just go back to my place." His voice was muffled by my neck as he breathed in deeply against my skin. My whole body tingled when he exhaled his warm breath over me.

"Will you come to my apartment tonight? I have a surprise for you."

"Of course." Placing a soft kiss against the skin of my throat he pulled away and started walking in the direction of my apartment, but before he could move too far I had captured his hand in my own and tugged him towards my car down the street.

I unlocked the car and opened the passenger side door for Jasper, ushering him in and closing it firmly behind him. As I made my way around the front of the car I couldn't help but glance through the window at him. His eyes were tired, but bright. He seemed happy. Excited. His hair was pushed behind his ears and the loose curls were sticking out at odd angles from his head. His thick, grey scarf was pulled up past his mouth as he tried to warm himself up, but I could see the corners of his small smile, bringing out his dimples as he watched me. He was beautiful and I thanked God he was mine.

The roads were quiet and the ride to my apartment was peaceful. As soon as I'd put my seatbelt on Jasper's hand had found mine and hadn't let go since. We didn't talk, he didn't ask what his surprise was. We just enjoyed the serenity of being together.

My stomach had been in knots all day, as I replayed the flash of pain and anger on Jasper's face this morning. We had said we would talk through any problems we had before they got out of control after the James incident and when he had just walked out this morning it had fucking scared me to death. I didn't know what Jasper would say when I met him, when I brought him home, but I knew what I was going to say.

We made our way up to my apartment; the building was pretty quiet with everyone away for the holiday. Stopping at my door to fish out my key, I fucking beamed with pride when I saw Jasper sniffing the air and smiling widely. Clutching his flowers in one hand, he followed me inside, looking confused and amazed all at once as he walked cautiously towards the kitchen.

"How did you do this?" His shock was almost comical and I couldn't help the smirk that found its way onto my face. "Did you get a caterer?"

I laughed out loud, shedding my coat and coming to stand behind him. I wove my arms around his waist and rested my chin on his shoulder as we gazed over my kitchen. My messy, disorganized, cluttered kitchen. Every counter top was covered in pots and pans. Potato peelings were piled high in my sink and my oven and stove top were full, cooking away slowly.

"I did it myself thank you very much." I laughed low in his ear, nipping at the lobe and enjoying the way he pressed back against me as I did so. "I did it for you."

Turning in my arms, Jasper unwound his scarf and allowed me to peel off his coat, throwing them towards a stool at the island. His t-shirt was a soft blue and every inch of his chest looked strong and broad. His eyes travelled from my face, down my shirt, taking in my dirty t-shirt and greasy jeans.

"But you couldn't even whisk eggs." He smiled proudly at me, his eyes sparkling.

"Esme talked me through it. Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

I pulled him closer to me, our whole bodies now touching from our chests pressed together to our toes touching. His eyes drifted closed and I allowed my own to do the same, leaning forward and gently capturing his lips with mine. Our kiss was soft and chaste and I pulled away after a minute to start dishing out our meal.

Jasper watched from the dining room table I'd set, as I brought out dish after dish. When I lifted the turkey to the table he couldn't disguise the hunger in his eyes. I didn't know if it was for me or the spread before him.

"This is amazing, baby. I can't believe you did this." We tucked in to our food, plating up our turkey and all the trimmings. Everything tasted fine, it was at least edible and I knew Jasper was more interested in the fact that I'd gone to such trouble than how everything actually tasted.

"I wanted to talk to you about this morning." I started, when we were full and content. We had moved to my couch and were sitting at opposite ends, our legs up on the coffee table and our hands clasped between us. "I didn't even think about how it would make you feel. I just wanted to help you but I see now that I went about it all the wrong way."

I curled my leg up under me and turned my body to face him. I wanted to be able to see his face in the warm light from the lamps and read his reactions. I needed to know that he believed me when I said I didn't mean it the way it ended up coming out.

"I'm not mad at you, baby. I know you were trying to do good, but I just don't want someone fighting my battles for me. I look after my momma because I want to do it. _I'm_ responsible for it and no one else. I've been living on my own, working for my money since I was a kid and I don't need help with it now."

I nodded without saying a word, he deserved to get this off his chest, just as much as I wanted to apologize for it.

"I think we both know I can handle James. I promise you he'll never touch me again if that's what you're worried about." Jasper moved closer to me, his hands sliding up my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps along my flesh before cupping my jaw tenderly, his eyes never leaving mine.

"I believe you." I swallowed the nerves rising from my stomach and slid forward to hook my leg over his hip. "I want you to know that it's you that I'm thankful for. I'm so fucking grateful to have you in my life."

He nodded, his eyes glassing as he watched me with adoration. Esme was right. He deserved to know how I felt about him without playing all the stupid games. I wanted to tell him more than I wanted to show him. He needed to know.

"I meant what I said earlier, Jasper. You are my family. You are my life now." His gasp was barely audible even in the silence we were enclosed in. We couldn't be any closer than we were, our legs tangled together, his hands on my face and my fingers in his hair. Our foreheads were pressed together, our mouths barely touching and our breaths mingling between us. "I love you, Jasper. I love you so much."

I felt wetness of my cheek and couldn't tell whether it was his tears or my own. His grip tightened on my jaw and his lips melted into mine for the briefest of moments.

"I love you, too." It was all that needed to be said. Our lips crashed, our tongues seeking each other and dancing together when they met. As our mouths moved and our fingers dug in deeper, the enormity of what had just happened hit me full force and I pulled away from his lips with a gasp.

"Edward, what's wrong?" His eyes were panicked, his lips pink and full and his cheeks flushed from our kisses. "What is it?"

My breaths were coming in panicked gasps and I tried to suck in air as quickly as I could. I felt like I couldn't breathe, like all the air was being squeezed out of my chest.

"Please don't leave me." Deep down I knew I wasn't making any sense. This panic was so sudden and unexpected. I couldn't stop the fear clenching my heart with every beat or the tears forming in my eyes at the thought of what might happen next.

"I can't lose you too." I clung to his neck, my fingers gripping on with everything I had.

"Baby, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, Edward. I'm not leaving you." Jasper's words were genuine, his voice holding all of the vehemence he could muster to try to calm me.

"Everyone I've ever loved has left me. I can't lose you now." His eyes flashed with sorrow when he understood my panic. His hands gripped my face firmly and he forced my eyes to meet his.

"Look at me. I'm not leaving." I nodded, trying to slow my breathing. One of his hands left my face to press against my chest, helping me control the rise and fall of my lungs, and my head began to clear. I hadn't had a panic attack like that since Peter's parents confronted me at the hospital, but looking into Jasper's eyes and listening to his words allowed me to gain control.

He held his hand over my chest, the fingers at my jaw rubbing soothingly as he repeated again and again the words I needed to hear. It was like a mantra, a litany, that he gave me no option but to believe. "I'm not leaving. I love you. I promise, I'm not leaving you."

As my breathing slowed and the blind fear passed, I clung to Jasper as tightly as I could.

"I'm sorry, love." Shushing me, he cradled my body against his and lifted me off the couch. We made our way to the bedroom, Jasper's arms straining against my weight but not faltering once and settled onto the bed as soon as he reached it.

We lay side by side, our legs entwined and our faces only inches from one another. Our eyes were locked and our chests were rising and falling in tandem with our deep breaths. The room was dark but not pitch black, the lights from the city and the moonlight overhead lighting enough of the room that we could make out each other's features.

"Are you OK?" Jasper whispered, his hand coming up to push the hair off of my forehead.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that. I haven't freaked out like that in a long time." I closed my eyes, ashamed at my reaction to our very first 'I love yous.'

"Don't be." Moving closer to me, his fingers ran through my hair, his nails scratching lightly at my scalp before slipping behind my neck and urging my mouth towards his. The way his tongue snaked out to swipe across the seam of my lips had my back arching and my cock hardening between us. When his teeth captured my bottom lip and bit down gently, the moan that came from my throat surprised me and he wasted no time in pushing his tongue inside of my mouth to taste me.

"It wont be like that every time, will it?" Jasper asks, his voice low and breathless, panting.

"I don't know." I sighed. "Try me." I growled low in my chest as his hands moved to my hips, rolling his body with mine and urging me on top of him until I was straddling his thighs, his hard cock digging into my ass even through our layers of thick denim.

"I love you." He whispered, lifting my shirt over my head when I raised my arms. He leaned up to capture my nipple between his lips. His tongue felt incredible as it flicked quickly over my hardened bud, blowing cool air over the tip and watching with heavy-lidded eyes as goosebumps broke out all over my chest. I couldn't help but gasp at the sensation and he obviously decided that was a positive sign.

"I love you." He said it a little louder this time and I smiled down at him, feeling happy and whole, my heart hammering in my chest at his every word. I lean down to kiss his jaw and throat just as his fingers move to the buttons of my fly.

My jeans were tight and Jasper struggled to push them past my hips until I moved off of him to stand by the side of the bed, kicking them to the floor and crawling back over him to make quick work of his own button and zipper. By the time we were both naked, my chest and stomach were slick with sweat and we both groaned loudly as I slid my body up along the length of his, rubbing deliciously against every single fucking inch.

"I love you, baby." This time his voice was barely audible above our panting breaths. "Always."

"Me too, love." I whispered before kissing him softly in the dip of his throat. His fingers moved to my ass and I sucked in a deep breath as he removed them to suck them into his mouth and push one slowly inside of me. Nothing had ever felt better. No one had ever made me feel this fucking alive before.

Our dicks were thrusting together, slick with our arousal and desperate for friction. Jasper let out a pained moan when I moved off of him for a second time to reach into my drawer for lube and a condom but gladly took the bottle when I leaned back over him. He poured the cold liquid over his fingers before returning them to my entrance.

I felt so fucking full as he prepared me and I knew tonight would be different. It would just be more. When I rolled the condom down his length and drizzled some more lube over his, full, purple head after giving him a few pumps, I couldn't get my eyes to leave his. I couldn't tear them away.

As I lifted myself onto my knees and sank slowly down onto him, the love in his eyes was enough to make my hands shake where they were pressed against his shoulders for support. Jasper's hands were digging into my hips, his grip firm as he helped lift me up off of him and lower me back down. We built up a steady rhythm and a faster pace as Jasper raised his hips to meet mine as I slammed downwards.

My dick was aching, precum dripping from the tip as it bounced with every thrust. I could have fucking cried out when Jasper wrapped his hand firmly around my length and pumped with every lift and drop of my body. My stomach was clenching and my balls were throbbing and I knew it wouldn't be long before I was pushed over the edge.

Jasper was panting below me, his chest flushed and covered in a light sheen. His eyes never left mine and I could see his struggle to hold off until I was ready. I wanted to push him over the edge with me and I knew exactly how to do it.

Leaning forward, I braced my weight on my arms at the sides of his head and brought my lips to his ear to whisper teasingly.

"Fuck, love. You feel so fucking good, so deep inside of me." His loud groan was confirmation that this was exactly what he needed. "I love feeling you like this. I love you." I whispered the last three words directly into his ear and bit down on his lobe, relishing in the roar that escaped through his clenched teeth as he pounded up into me, stilling when his cock began to pulse inside of me.

My own cock was trapped between our slick bodies, Jasper's hand still wrapped firmly around it. When he began to cum, his grip tightened and his hips thrashed, giving me the friction I needed to pull me over the edge with him. My whole body seemed to explode and I had to clench my eyes shut as his name fell from my lips again and again and my release covered his hand and our bodies.

Our orgasms ripped through us, our bodies trembling for minutes after we were finished. I lifted myself off of Jasper and pulled of his condom for him, placing a kiss on the tip of his dick as I did so and licking my lips of the taste of him left there.

When I'd cleaned us both up, I climbed back onto the bed and straight into Jasper's arms. My head fit perfectly into the crook of his neck and his fingers were in my hair almost immediately. I'd never felt a connection like that before and my mind was struggling to process it.

"You're incredible." Jasper drawled lazily. "I'd do anything to make you happy, baby. To keep you happy."

As if the thought had just occurred to him, he sat up, forcing me up as well. My tired, sated body protested but his eyes were alight with excitement and I couldn't discourage his happiness for anything.

"What do you want, baby? There must be something." He stared into my eyes and only one thing flashed through my mind. "I'd do anything for you. I'd give you anything."

"All I want is you." I answered honestly. All I ever wanted was him. I'd have him in any way he'd give me.

"You already have me. What else do you want?"

I swallowed thickly and noticed his bright eyes watching my throat bob. It was now or never and Jasper was giving me one chance to have exactly what I wanted. What I'd wanted since the first time I laid eyes on him. What I'd dreamed about and what I'd fantasized about. This was my one chance.

"I want every part of you." I dropped his gaze, unsure of his reaction to my request. When he was silent for a few seconds too long I lifted my eyes to watch his face. Confusion pulled his brows down into a frown and I watched the exact moment he understood what I was asking as his eyes widened beyond anything I'd seen and his mouth gaped open in a perfect 'O' shape.

"I've never -"

"I know. You don't have to; I just -"

"I'll do it."

My own mouth dropped open and my exhausted cock gave a twitch at the though of being buried deep inside of Jasper. Of having him at my mercy and being in complete control of his body, his pleasure. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He'd never bottomed before and he was telling me he'd do it now, for me. It seemed as though my love for this man would grow every day, my complete awe at his devotion to me had me crushing his body against mine.

His lips found mine, and although I could see his nerves, I could also see an excitement, a thrumming anxiety in his eyes that I couldn't wait to harness into something positive. I kissed him with reckless abandon, all teeth and tongues, and when we broke apart, gasping for air the words that fell from his lips and sank into my soul could have brought me to my knees.

"I trust you, baby. I love you. I'll do it. I'm yours."

**I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter. I hope it was worth the wait. **

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and everyone who has added this story to their alerts and their favourites. It means everything to me.**

**Please leave a wee review and let me know what you thought. Do you want to see Jasper's first time as a bottom in his POV or Edward's? I'll count on Wednesday next week and write whoever gets the most votes.**

**Thank you so much to my perfectly smutty and wonderfully encouraging beta, harrytwifan. I love ya, girl. Thanks for all of your hard work with everything and for all of your support and your patience. You're incredible.**

**I posted my two entries for the Quickie Contest last week so go and check them out and tell me what you think. They're tiny, it'll only take you 2 mins :)**

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	16. Chapter 16

**Sleeves Chapter Sixteen**

**Due to popular demand, I give you...**

JPOV

"You OK, love?" Edward's voice was soothing in my ear, low and husky, his warm breath washing over my face as I snuggled deeper into his chest. Trying to get as close to him as possible, I wound my arms even tighter around his waist and pressed myself against him.

"Mmhm." I breathed into the warm skin of his chest, feeling him chuckle lightly, shaking my frame and rumbling through me.

His bed was warm, the sheets wrapped around our waists and the air of his apartment felt perfect against my exposed back and arms. It was such a lovely change from the freezing air of my place where you could spend the morning in bed, scared to leave the covers and face the icy floors and the bitter air. We hadn't moved since earlier in the night, when we had made love and Edward had asked me to give myself completely to him.

When I told him I'd do it, that I trusted him and loved him and that I'd do this for him, for us, his answering smile had been incredible and I knew without a doubt that I'd made the right decision. He had kissed me passionately, deeply, and I could feel his happiness. His tongue found mine and flicked it gently again and again, his little licks and teasing touches making my body react to him, to the thought of what we were about to do.

I'd moved to roll on top of him, anxious to let him know how much I wanted him. To let him feel for himself just how much I wanted this. But he had slowed our kisses, linking his fingers with mine and stopping my descent above him. Pulling me down to lie beside him once again, Edward had wrapped his arms around me.

"There's no rush, love. We don't have to do this right now."

Edward assured me that he didn't mean for us to do this right away, just that we would do it eventually. I'd thought about protesting but couldn't do more than sigh in contentment as he snuggled up beside me and my body fitted against all of the angles of his, arching where he curved and aligning with every inch of him.

Edward left me to my thoughts and we both dozed on and off until the early hours of the next day. He must have noticed me stretching my limbs and moving against him as I woke slowly. I squeezed him tightly for a second to let him know I was awake and enjoyed the calm that had settled over me, my fingers floating up and down his side, fluttering over the thick bands of his ink and tickling over the goosebumps that rose in their wake.

I savored the quiet moment we were having, somewhere between sleep and waking where dawn was settling over the city below us and the new day held endless possibilities. Today was the future, our future, and our future could be anything we wanted it to be. As I breathed in the scent of the man underneath me, the man I loved, I couldn't hold back my smile.

We'd come a long way to get to where we were right now. After everything that happened with James I wasn't sure if I'd ever be lucky enough to get to just lie with Edward like this again. Let alone be able to say he was mine and I was his and we were in love. The thought of James quickly wiped the smile off of my face and I closed my eyes against the fury that bubbled in my chest when I thought of him. I was still furious every time I remembered what he had done to Edward, what he'd almost done to us.

The next time I saw him in Al's after that night, I saw red. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not a violent man. I pride myself on being calm and level-headed, but when my fist connected with that bastard's face I felt as though I was finally getting some payback, some retribution, for what he did. And it felt amazing. One blow was all I gave him. I looked him in the eye and told him if he ever came near Edward or I again, I'd kill him. Edward thanked me when I told him about it and took a look at my sore knuckles, showing me his love and appreciation in every touch and every kiss. If it led us to where we were now, if it made us stronger and better together, then I'd do it all over again.

Everything that happened, that led up to our very first I love yous, had happened for a reason and I could really see that now. When Edward had asked me in a roundabout way to quit my job and let him support me, I had, at first, been so mad at him. I was able to support myself and I enjoyed being able to support my family. It was the one thing I could be proud of about my life. I may not have a great job, I may not be a successful artist, but I would always know that I did my best to help my family.

The more I thought about it, as I cooled off at work that day, the more I could see that Edward was really only just trying to help. I was ready to compromise, but his surprise dinner and surprise declaration had me thrown. The night was perfect. Everything about it was right for us.

Being able to say 'I love you' to Edward meant more to me than I think even he realized. I knew he was hesitant to hear the words, but every second I spent with him, every time I kissed his sweet lips or tasted the salt of his skin, the words were there, ready to fall from my heart and soul and land on him. Holding them back was hard, but not hearing him say the words to me, the words I knew he felt, for fear of whatever it was he was scared of, was even harder.

I knew how he felt before he told me, I knew he loved me as I did him, but a part of me still needed to hear him say the words. Out loud. Even though I could feel his affection, his complete adoration with every look in his eyes, every touch of his fingertips, my insecurities were coming to the forefront of my mind the longer he went without telling me. I knew he was scared, of what I wasn't sure, but I couldn't help but be worried that it wasn't the only reason he couldn't tell me.

When Edward said 'I love you,' our mouths so close that I could swallow every word, god, I'd never felt so alive in all my life. I felt like I was floating and I never wanted to come back down to earth. When he moved himself over me and we made love I felt as though my heart was going to burst from my chest and spill all over the beautiful man above me and I doubt he would have minded.

I loved him. And he loved me. I was the god damn luckiest man alive. I wanted to give Edward the world in return for everything he had given me. I'd give him anything he asked of me without a second thought.

"What're you smiling about?" Edward's voice held a smile of his own, a husky whisper beneath me immediately causing my breath to catch and my dick to harden against his thigh where my leg was haphazardly thrown over his.

"How do you even know I'm smiling?" I teased, turning my head further into his chest to nip at the skin there.

"I can feel your dimples against my skin." He groaned, laughing heartily and trying to wriggle his way out from under me as I peppered his skin with tickling bites. Inhaling deeply, my eyes almost rolled back into my head at the smell of his skin, warmed from his sleep.

"Can you feel this?" I leaned over him, pining his hands by his head and using the weight of my chest against his to to stop his attempts at escape. Running my nose along the line of Edward's collarbone I nipped playfully every inch or so, causing him to giggle and struggle against me. "Where you going, baby?"

We pushed and pulled, tickling, touching, kissing each other for long minutes until I ended up straddling Edward's waist, his erection thick and full nudging my naked ass and mine heavy on his stomach. The atmosphere had changed and was charged before we could blink, the playfulness of the morning evaporating into lust and excitement. Nerves and anticipation.

"We don't have to do this yet, I don't want you to feel like it's now or never, I can be patient." Edward spoke in tiny, panting breaths as he tried to gain control over himself, struggling to hold his hips still when they wanted to thrust upwards and into me.

"Oh yeah?" I lowered my mouth to lick at the shell of his ear, purposefully grinding my ass back against Edward's straining cock and whimpering as the head nudged my entrance. "I don't think I can be."

Leaning up to catch my mouth with his, our lips met in a fiery kiss, scorching and needy. Edward's tongue was hot in my mouth as it swirled with my own, demanding and sure.

"Fucking hell, Jasper. You don't know how long I've wanted this." His words were strained, spoken against my lips as he lifted his hips up to me.

"Why didn't you say anything before, baby?" If this was something he'd thought about, fantasized about, why hadn't he mentioned it before now? We were trying to be more open and honest with each other and now seemed as good a time as any to really put that theory to the test. This was certainly something we needed to discuss before we went any further. I slowed my rolling hips and lifted up off of him to allow him to speak.

"I was so happy with the way things were going, I didn't need it. I'd happily bottom for you for the rest of out lives" He spoke honestly, reverently, his piercing green eyes never once leaving mine. And I knew he was telling the truth.

"I'm scared." I whispered against his lips as I closed my eyes against the concern showing in his, in the frown on his brow and the clench of his jaw.

"We don't have to do this." Edward's answer was automatic, growled out through clenched teeth, and I truly believed that if I said to him that I couldn't do it, that I couldn't give myself to him that way, he'd be OK with it. We'd go on the way we were and we would both be happy about it. Only, since Edward had mentioned it, since I'd had in my mind the thought of feeling him inside me, over me, claiming me, I wanted it more than I ever thought I would.

"I want to, baby. I want to feel you like that." I ground myself into his lap to prove it and relished the sight of his eyes clenching against the feeling. "I'm just a little nervous, is all."

When Edwards emerald green eyes opened, it was with determination and compassion shining in them, clouding the lust and steeling his gaze. He sat up and shimmied me backwards to sit between his parted legs, my calves draped over his hips. His arms were tight around my back and his fingers were dancing over the soft skin at the base of my spine.

"You've never bottomed before?"

"No, never." I couldn't tear my eyes away from his as they watched me intently. "I've fooled around but never had sex as a bottom."

Edward's eyes widened, the lust burning in them all the clearer the more I spoke. I couldn't stop myself as my gaze fell from his face to his naked crotch, his cock long and hard, twitching as I spoke. The sight alone was enough to have me leaking precum on the sheets below me.

"Fuck," Edward muttered under his breath and I raised my eyes to see his staring steadily at my own cock. I moved to lift myself off of him but was stopped by Edward's firm grip on my calves. "Wait. I just need to know that you want this. It's OK if you don't, but I need to know once and for all. I don't want to push you into anything, love."

He was deadly serious, and instead of glancing at my throbbing dick, slick with precum, and raising an incredulous eyebrow at him, I knew I had to be serious too. I had to ease his fears. We were in this together.

"I want this, Edward. I want you."

Leaning forward to catch his mouth with mine in a searing kiss I tangled my fingers deeply into his messy hair. Our tongues met and moved against each other's and we were both panting by the time I moved away. Trailing my lips across his hard jaw, and loving the way his morning stubble dragged across my soft flesh, I darted my tongue out as I neared his ear, licking at the lobe teasingly.

"I want you to be the only man to ever have me like this." I whispered, breathing into his ear and biting down softly on his lobe.

I'd never seen Edward move so fast; before I even knew what was happening I was on my back with Edward between my legs, our hips rolling together. We were covering ourselves and each other in our precum and panting into each other's open mouths. His breath, his skin, tasted delicious and I sucked in each of his pants greedily.

In that moment, with Edward's hands entwined with mine and his weight pushing me into the mattress, I didn't feel an ounce of hesitation. I couldn't wait to have him inside me, moving within me and claiming me as his own. I knew without a doubt that he would take care of me, he wouldn't push me and he'd let me set the pace and I wanted it more than I'd ever wanted anything before.

Our mouths moved slowly as our bodies thrust and rolled together. I could feel every part of him against me; his lips were soft and wet against my lips, moving to my jaw and throat when we ran out of air. His chest, slick with sweat, slid against my chest, his nipples deliciously shifting the metal in mine. I could feel his cock, so hard and thick, ready for me, rubbing against my own and couldn't help the noise coming from my mouth every time his head nudged my barbell, sending bolts of pleasure straight into my stomach.

Edward released his hands from where they were pinning mine by my head and ran his fingers up my arms and down my sides to my hips. The feeling of his fingertips alone was enough to light a fire within me. I was burning for him. His strong hands grabbed hold of my hips and lifted me off of him, and I raised to my knees despite my confusion.

"I've wanted to taste you since I first saw you." Edward looked me straight in the eye as he spoke the words, his eyes dancing.

Moving behind me, I could feel his whole body align against mine, his chest to my back and his arms around my waist, holding me tightly as he kissed and nipped along the nape of my neck.

"Hands and knees, love." Edward directed in my ear, giving me one last nip before pushing me forward and onto all fours and sliding his body over mine. As he leaned away from me and scooted back on the bed I missed his touch, his heat.

I was shaking, my whole body was trembling in excitement. The lust coursing through my veins like adrenaline, causing my heartbeat to thump inside my chest and my pulse to race. The anticipation was unnerving and I had to clench my eyes shut against it. My dick was straining, desperate to be touched and my fingers were twitching to wrap around it and just pump.

Just as I had given up waiting, my left arm bracing my weight and my right hand sliding over towards my cock, I felt it. Edwards hands gripped my cheeks, pulling gently and opening me to him, as his tongue, hot and wet, dragged an excruciatingly slow trail across my entrance. Keeping up his pace, slow and steady, he licked from the base of my spine to my balls and back. Again and again.

The feeling was divine. The way his fingers would dig into my flesh every time his tongue and lips travelled over my hole, as if he had to restrain himself from just letting go and plunging inside me, had me gasping for air. My cock was aching, throbbing and dripping precum. I couldn't remember ever being this hard..

"Baby, please. I can't take it." My moan seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Edward kept up his gentle teasing. I was moaning low in my throat with every pass of his tongue and just as I opened my mouth to beg him to touch me, a rumbling growl was ripped from my chest as I felt his tongue, warm and wet, dip inside my entrance, teasing the muscles there.

My back arched and it took everything within me to keep myself from pushing back towards his face and forcing him to fuck me with his tongue like I wanted him to. I'd been rimmed before but it had always felt sloppy and unappealing. With Edward it felt as though there was nothing in the world he'd rather be doing, his low moans were showing me how much he, too, was loving every second of this. I pushed my hips back once and his tongue delved deeper. I was rewarded with a breathy 'oh, fuck,' as Edward rested his forehead against the base of my spine and was forced to catch his breath.

Kissing his way up my back, his hot breaths were fanning across my spine, raising goosebumps in his path. I heard the click of the cap of the lube bottle only moments before I felt the cold dribble of liquid running down between my crack and Edward's first digit pushing into me. It had been so long since I'd even touched myself this way and the initial sting was just like I remember. And just like I remember it gave way so quickly to a feeling of fullness and pleasure.

Pumping his long finger inside me while he kissed his way up to my shoulder blades, Edward never stopped mumbling words of love and desire into my skin. When he pressed a second and then a third finger inside of me, slowly allowing me to adjust and then stretching me for more, his lips never left mine. I could taste myself as he kissed me, the unique muskiness making me moan out, sucking his tongue into my mouth.

What started out as lust and fire and burning need had changed to something else. Something more. Our kisses became soft and slow and our movements were unhurried. Beautiful. This was about trust and love and sharing something new together. I could feel it in Edward's every movement, every time his lips touched my skin and I felt him move against me.

Removing his fingers, Edward shifted himself behind me. I turned my head to watch him roll a condom down his length and pour some lube over the head. Swallowing slowly, I tried to calm my breathing. My lungs were filling and emptying rapidly thanks to Edward's fingers and lips and tongue and it was all I could do to breath through my nose instead of panting out of my mouth like a dog.

When his body covered mine again, his chest rising and falling against my back, I knew this was it. I locked my arms against the mattress and braced myself for the burn. His cock was long and thick and perfect, but it was sure to hurt. Anxiety was creeping in and no matter how hard I tried it was rising in my stomach. Something felt off and for long seconds I felt as though I had to stop this. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw, waiting for Edward to make his move.

"Can you roll over, love? I need to see you." Edward's voice was soft in my ear, gentle, caressing my every tense muscle and making me sigh out in relief. The sound of it alone calmed me and had my breathing slowing, my jaw and fists unclenching. This was what I needed, he had known I'd need it this way, to be able to see him and kiss him and look into his burning eyes. Edward kissed my cheek softly, one hand caressing my jaw from the other side and moved off of me to allow me to move.

"I love you." It was all that needed to be said, and as I looked into his eyes, watching light and love dance behind them, I couldn't have meant it more when I told him I loved him in return. The anxiety I felt as he reached down between us and aligned the tip of his cock with my hole was outweighed by the adoration and raw lust radiating from him. The discomfort, the burn, I felt as the head of Edward's thick cock pushed passed my resisting muscles and worked its way inside me was eclipsed when I looked up to see Edward's eyes clenched tightly closed against the feeling.

Holding himself above me, Edward had one hand braced by my head and one hand tangled in my hair. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his thighs, crushing him to me as he fought to enter me slowly. Inch by inch he filled me. The pain was there, it was real, but it was worth it. And I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes and promised myself I could do this. When Edward was fully sheathed within me, he stilled and let me adjust to him.

"Are you OK, love?" I nodded, my eyes opening and finding his, watching his beautiful green eyes half lidded and hungry. "Jesus Christ. You feel incredible." I crashed my mouth against his, trying to convey my absolute adoration of him before he could say any more. Tilting my hips, I let him know with my body that I was ready for him to move, I was ready to feel him.

Edward moved slowly and with such precision. I could tell he was terrified of hurting me in any way. When he pulled almost all the way out of me and slid easily back in, I moaned long and low in my chest. He felt incredible. The pain was quickly abating, giving way to pleasure as his slow thrusts pulled him deeper and deeper inside of me. I could feel every inch of him as he moved and I'd never felt anything so exquisite in my life.

My tongue was flicking over his bottom lip, catching his panting breaths and moans and gasps. My hands had slipped down his back and were palming his firm ass, encouraging him to move faster, harder, inside me.

"Fuck." My moans were growing louder as Edward began to move a little faster. My dick was still achingly hard between us, Edward's stomach grinding against it in just the way I needed. "Harder, baby. Please. You're not going to hurt me, I promise."

Edward snapped his hips and slammed into me then, his cock hitting my prostate and causing me to shout out. Our mouths were barely parted, each of us gulping down the other's panting breaths hungrily. At my moans of approval, the force behind each thrust doubled until he was pounding into me, grazing my prostate and grinding his hard stomach over my cock.

I could feel myself getting close, my balls were throbbing, aching for a release, and I hoped Edward wasn't far behind me. I raised my legs a little to wrap them round his waist, changing the angle he was entering me and was rewarded with Edward's long hiss. Leaning back onto his knees he was able to slip his hands under my ass and lift my hips with every thrust.

"I'm gonna cum, baby." I moaned into the air of the bedroom. The morning was marching on and Edward's room was grey and hazy.

Edward picked up his pace, rolling his hips against mine as I lifted my own to keep up with his rhythm. He slid his hand across my stomach and gripped my cock firmly between his long fingers.

"Give it to me, Jasper. Fucking cum for me." He growled, his thrusts becoming erratic and his steady rhythm failing him. His words, and the feral, predatory look in his eyes threw me over the edge. I could feel my orgasm coming in waves, crashing over me and taking me completely. My cock exploded within Edward's tight grip and my warm cum covered my stomach and chest while my ass clenched around Edward's cock.

I felt him still within me, pulsing inside me as I trembled through my orgasm. Roaring my name, he collapsed on top of me. Shaking and panting together, we took our time coming down from our orgasms and even through my trembling I couldn't find it in me to wipe the smile from my face.

Edward's face was buried in my neck, his damp hair tickling my chin and his scruff scratching my sensitive skin. It felt right. And perfect.

"I love you, baby." I whispered, still trying to catch my breath and wincing as his soft cock slid out of my ass. "That was incredible."

"I know. God, I love you Jasper." His words were murmured into the damp skin of my neck but I heard and felt every one of them. "Thank you."

His lips were soft but sure along my throat and up my jaw. When his mouth met mine my exhaustion ceased to matter and I kissed him with all of the energy I had left. Our tongues tangled, as did our fingers, and he continued to whisper thank yous between kisses, against my lips, and cheeks, and chin.

I winced at the deep burn as Edward moved off of me and towards his bathroom. When he returned with a damp cloth and began to clean us, I chuckled at how much the tables had turned. I let myself relax under his tender touch and grit my teeth against the discomfort when he slid the cloth over my entrance.

"Come on, love." Edward hovered over me, offering me his hands and pulled me up to sitting. He must have seen the sheen of sweat breaking across my forehead or noticed my tentative movements because his whole face was a mask of concern. When he led me into the bathroom, our hands joined the whole time, he lifted a glass of cold water to my free hand and gestured for me to open my mouth to accept whatever he was offering me.

"Tylenol. It'll help." He watched me fixedly as I swallowed the pills and gulped down the water, before leading me into his steamy shower.

Standing under the spray I wrapped my arms around Edward's waist, his back against my chest, and his fingers intertwining with mine.

"Thank you." He whispered again, turning his head to kiss me. "That was fucking unbelievable."

"It was." I agreed readily, loving seeing Edward so light and happy. My body was sore and I knew it would be for a day or so but I honestly couldn't care less. I'd given myself in the most intimate way to the man I was in love with. I'd made him happy and given him what he needed from me. "Thank you for sharing that with me."

Turning in my arms, our lips and tongues moved languidly against each other's as Edward's hands roamed carefully over my body, spreading soap suds over my skin. As much as this was something Edward had asked for, something he had desired, I felt as though he'd given me much more than I had given him. I wanted to show him how much I appreciated him and let him know that I was in this for the long run. I wanted to share my life with him, I wanted to spend my days and nights by his side.

"Edward, baby?" I mumbled against his lips, pulling back and catching his eye before continuing. "Move in with me?"

I took his muffled whimper and scorching kiss as a yes and crushed his body to mine, my heart threatening to leap out of my throat and my eyes closed tightly against the moisture gathering and threatening to fall.

**Thanks to every single person who reviewed the last chapter and to everyone who has added this story to their favourites or put it on alert. You guys really are incredible.**

**Massive thanks to my wonderful beta, harrytwifan, for beta-ing this baby at work! Tut tut. You're support and guidance means everything to me. Thank you.**

**Check out the couple of Sleeves outtakes I posted and don't forget to review and let me know what you thought of them.**

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**And finally, for those of you who wanted Edward's point of view this chapter, your wish is my command. Review and you'll get a lovely outtake of EPOV of Jasper's first time as a bottom:**

Kissing my way up his spine, I kept my rhythm steady as I slowly moved my fingers in and out of Jasper's ass. He was so tight and my whole body was breaking out in a sweat at just the thought of pushing inside of him. Nipping at his neck and throat, I could feel his heart hammering through his back and into my chest and I felt more alive than I'd ever dreamed was possible.

**Sound good? Leave a review and it's yours.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sleeves Chapter 17**

EPOV

The sound of his bare feet on the hardwood floors was soothing beyond compare and I'm not quite sure how I managed to live without it for so long. Approaching me from behind, I pretended not to notice when he stopped behind where I was sitting on the couch. I kept my eyes firmly on the text in front of me. Soft kisses and tiny, tickling nips were placed across the back of my neck and warm hands slipped downward under the collar of my t-shirt from behind to trail over my chest. A low moan fought its way out of my throat before I could stop it and Jasper chuckled heartily above me.

"Time to take a break, baby?" His mouth was by my ear, his breath fanning across my cheek as his blunt fingernails dragged tortuously slow over my chest, catching my nipples and making me hiss.

I nodded my assent. Tilting my head backwards, I rested it against the back of the couch and encouraged his lips to mine. Warm, wet flesh slid over mine, teasing and tickling. When Jasper's tongue licked slowly at my top lip, I opened my mouth, allowing him access to my tongue and teeth.

"Stand up." The command in his tone was obvious and it shot a bolt of excitement through my whole body. Taking a deep breath, I stood on shaky legs, stretching out my back and neck with my arms raised high over my shoulders.

His strong hands were tight on my hips as soon as I'd moved away from the couch, guiding me forward until I was stood a few feet from the huge glass window-wall that took up one whole side of my apartment. My body and mind were lost to anticipation; my cock was already hard from our teasing kisses and Jasper's dominating commands, my mind was racing with what he could do to me, what he might want me to do to him.

Jasper aligned his whole body with mine, his bare feet sliding to the outside of mine, his thighs strong against the backs of mine, his groin pressed closely against my ass and his chest firm against my back. My breaths were coming out in tiny pants and I was so fucking aware of every single movement of his. His hands slid from my hips, kneading up my back before squeezing my biceps gently on their way down my arms. When has hands clasped with mine my fingers slid gratefully into his. I felt so at peace.

Walking me forward until I stood a foot from the window, Jasper lifted our hands, stretching them out before us. I could feel the heat of his breath on my neck and goosebumps broke out over my skin. He untangled our fingers and pressed my hands against the glass before me, pulling my hips back against his groin and pressing himself against me.

"Don't. Move." His whisper, dark and husky and warm against my ear, made me shudder. I loved seeing this side of Jasper. Confidant and cocky. Gone was the easy going guy I was used to and in his place was a darker, grittier man. He was so sexy and he didn't have a fucking clue.

The room was thrust into darkness seconds after Jasper moved away from me. My body missed his immediately, my skin tingled for the touch of his fingers, the press of his lips, the trail of his tongue. My arms were shaking, trembling under my weight as I braced myself on the panes in front of me. The city below me was very much alive. Even eighty stories up I could see the throbbing of life below us. The buildings around us held snapshots of families, the lovers and the lonely, through their own windows and the thought that any of of the people surrounding us could look up and see the shadows of Jasper and I moving together had my cock full and aching in seconds.

I felt Jasper coming back to me, moving slowly and determinedly closer, before I ever heard him or saw him. My whole body ached for his. When his arms snaked around me and his diligent fingers worked the button of my jeans through it's hole, my whole body slumped ever so slightly in relief. The denim of my jeans dragged deliciously over my hard dick and down my thighs, pooling at my feet, followed shortly by my boxers. My t-shirt was pulled up by steady hands that grazed my nipples before easing it over my head.

As I stood naked before the whole fucking city below me, around me, I felt as though everybody was watching us. The only light in the room was coming from the street hundreds of feet below us but I felt as though a spot light was trained on me. It turned me on more than I ever fucking thought possible and my cock was already dripping with precum.

"I'm going to fuck you in front of the whole of New York City, baby." Jasper's voice was husky, his breath tickling my shoulder.

"Fuck, yes."

"You like that? You like knowing that anyone could look up here and see us? The whole city will know you're mine."

A moan, low and hungry, ripped out of my chest and Jasper took that as confirmation, gripping my cock in his fist and pumping me with sure, steady strokes. Within seconds his fingers were coated with my precum and his hand was flying over my dick. Lips on skin. Tongue and teeth. It's all I could feel, all I could taste and hear and see.

Jasper was so powerful, so beautiful. He had me at his mercy and I relished the control he exerted over me. He could fucking rule the world with his hands tied behind his back and at times like this, I think he allowed himself to know it. To have confidence in himself and believe in himself. The thought made me moan while lust for this man pounded through my veins.

"God damnit, Edward," he moaned, pressing his body against mine. He was naked. And hard. His cock slid between my ass cheeks as he rocked his hips against me, teasing me and enjoying me. Loving me.

Jasper let go off my dick just as I began thrusting my hips in time with his strokes and I moaned, disgruntled, at the loss. I could barely see his reflection in the glass. The room behind us was ink black and in shadow, but I watched his silhouette as he dropped to his knees behind me and crawled to kneel at the side of me.

His knees were spread widely and my eyes couldn't have stayed away from the sight below me if they'd tried. Jasper's dick was straining, pink and glistening and ready for me. Taking my own cock in hand he pumped me with his right hand, slower now and with long, smooth strokes, while his left hand slid nimble fingers between my cheeks to tease my entrance.

I was ready for him in seconds, it seemed. My body moved forward, pushing my cock into his hand, and backward, onto his probing fingers, without any conscious command. My balls were tingling, fucking aching, and when Jasper released me and moved to stand behind me, my dick twitched in anticipation.

Feeling Jasper push inside of me was the best thing I'd ever experienced. The intimacy, even when I hadn't seen his face for minutes, overwhelmed me, and the absolute lust flooding my veins almost brought me to my knees. I felt complete, at unequivocal peace, when his hips shifted and my body accepted the last few inches of him.

My eyes squeezed tightly shut against the extra stimuli of the city view. Knowing Jasper was taking me in front of thousands of people was enough to make me bite my lip to keep from cumming. Everything else was magnified; the sounds of his harsh breathing, the air filling his lungs deeply in long, raspy breaths, the smell of our sex already thick in the air and the feeling of him all around me were taking over me.

Jasper gave me a minute to get used to his length before he started moving. He was relentless in his thrusts, pulling out and slamming back in. Again and again. Large hands were covering my body, splayed out over my stomach and gripping tightly onto my shoulder as his cock hit my prostate with every deep thrust.

"Fuck. You feel so good. I love you so much." His words were pants, gasps and pleas and murmurs of adoration against the sweat-slicked skin of my back. I hadn't even touched my cock and I was there, ready to fucking cum within minutes.

I held back, gritting my teeth against the bursts of pleasure Jasper was giving me and waiting for him to be there with me.

"I'm so close, baby. Are you gonna cum for me?"

Nodding furiously, I felt my fingertips desperately trying to grip onto the glass as I came with a roar of his name all over the window before me, feeling Jasper pump into my steadily as he rode out his own orgasm. He crashed against me.

We came down slowly, pulling away from each other, away from the window and the city as we caught our breath and blinked open our eyes. Catching my lips in a searing kiss, Jasper licked softly at my bottom lip before stumbling blindly to the bathroom to clean himself up. By the time he came back, looking satisfied and sexy in his soft cotton shirt and flannel pyjama pants, I'd pulled on my boxers and cleaned up a bit and was leaning with my forearm pressed against the window, enjoying the twinkling lights of the buildings around us.

"That was amazing." He sighed quietly, contentedly, as he wrapped his arms around me and leaned his head gently on my shoulder. "I've wanted to do that since I first saw this place."

The soft rumble of his chuckle made me smile, a lazy grin pulling at my lips as I laughed along with him. I'd never felt so complete before as I snuggled closer into his arms, covering myself in his warmth and strength and love. I felt at home. "I can't believe you live here." I breathed, maybe to Jasper. Maybe to myself; it didn't feel real.

When Jasper asked me to move in with him I was so fucking happy. I wrapped my arms around him and crushed his body to mine, nodding into his wet hair and soapy skin and feeling unbreakable. Our good moods hadn't dissipated for days, as we grinned each time we caught each other's eye and giggled in the darkness of night as we spoke about our future. Even work hadn't dampened our spirits.

But when I met Jasper at his apartment one day and he opened his door with an unsure look on his face and fidgeting fingers I couldn't help but wonder what had caused the change.

"What's going on, love?" I asked as soon as the door was closed behind me. I tugged off my jacket and tie and threw them over the arm of the chair as we moved into the living room.

Jasper slid to stand before me, opening the top two buttons of my shirt and keeping his gaze firmly on my lips. I couldn't stand it. I was secure enough in the knowledge of his feelings for me to know this wasn't about us or about second thoughts or uncertainties but I worried that he was keeping something from me.

"Hey," I started, lifting his chin to meet his eyes. Beautiful. Sparkling. Exited. "What is it?"

A pink blush spread over his cheeks and piqued my curiosity. He looked so sweet. And shy. Fuck, he looked incredible.

"I, uh, I hope you don't mind but I cancelled the lease on my apartment." My heart sank, irrational as it was, at the thought that maybe he _had _changed his mind. He didn't let me dwell for long. "Your place would be better for us, don't you think?"

His face split into a brilliant smile. He dazzled me and it took me seconds to realize that he was waiting for confirmation. For some kind of answer.

"Yeah. Fuck. Yes, that would work." The moment I said it, I could see us. Lounging on the sofa on Saturday afternoons. Cooking in my kitchen when we both got home from work. Making love in the early hours of the morning in my bed. Our bed. "It'd be perfect."

"I'd save more money that way. I mean, you own the apartment, right?" I nodded. "I'll pay for food and utilities and anything else that might come along but to not have rent would make such a difference to me. I can draw in your spare room and your place would fit my stuff easier than mine would fit yours."

"We could make the room into a studio for you." The excitement was building, the plans for our future shaping and becoming solid things. My smile was huge, my cheeks aching with the strain of it. "Maybe you could cut back at the bar a bit and work more from home?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" It was a sealed deal.

Jasper had started moving his stuff into my place that same evening and as I watched his boxes pile high around my apartment, marked 'art crap' and 'kitchen stuff', I couldn't keep the smile off my face or my hands off his body. We moved together on the floor of my apartment, grinding and pushing and pulling amongst the boxes of our new lives and it hit me. This wasn't _my_ apartment any more. It was _ours. _Our home.

A few weeks had passed and Jasper's belongings had found their own spaces around the place. His clothes hung in the wardrobe next to mine, his socks in the drawer, indistinguishable from my own. His studio had been painted a warm, rich teal and the carpets had been stripped to allow him the freedom to spill and crumble and drop and not care. His guitar leaned against the back of my couch and his old, worn-down sofa had found itself in my office, the relaxed leather bringing something meaningful to my room. Jasper's beat up truck sat proudly in it's new space beside the Aston and I smiled every time I came home to see it parked there, telling me my love, my life, was waiting for me upstairs.

I let Jasper pay his way like he'd suggested. I understood that he needed his independence and wanted him to feel an equal in our home. We'd both learned things about each other that we hadn't noticed before, like how Jasper always left the hall light on no matter what time of day or night it was and how I always forgot to pull the bath plug out after I'd finished in the tub. It was interesting. And annoying. And fun and exciting. And just fucking perfect.

"Let's go to bed."

A warm kiss, soft and soothing was placed against the edge of my jaw and my hand slid into Jasper's easily, breaking me from my reverie and tearing my eyes away from the city. He led me down the hall, stopping so I could grumble good-naturedly about switching the light off, and pulled me into bed after him.

Lying on my back, I opened my arms and closed my eyes as Jasper slid into them and made himself comfortable against my chest. Our feet found each other, tangling our legs and rubbing softly for a second. I whispered that I loved him and tiredly, lazily, pressed a kiss into his soft curls before sleep took me.

We woke up in the same position, stretching and yawning and de-tangling ourselves to swipe at the alarm clock. The morning was still dark, the world outside of the window looking cold and quiet, and I fucking wished I could go back to sleep.

Tugging on my comfiest pair of scrubs, I watched out the corner of my eye as Jasper slid from bed looking rumpled and gorgeous, and wrapped his arms around my waist. He smelled like sleep and comfort and I squeezed him tightly, savoring the feeling to carry with me for the next 12 hours.

"What are you doing today?" I questioned into the crook of his neck.

"Just going to work in the studio until I have to go to the bar. I've been really inspired lately; this place is good for me."

I mumbled in approval and squeezed him tighter still.

"I'm going to miss you, love." The thought of not seeing Jasper properly for days tugged at my heart and made my throat thicken.

We'd been lucky with my shift patterns since he moved in but the next few days were going to be hard. I was working 12 hour days and Jasper was working evenings and late nights so we'd only see each other for a few minutes each morning. It wasn't enough.

"I know. Me too."

My lips found his then, mint breath meeting morning, soft lips and dry flesh and the taste of longing. I swallowed his quiet sighs and brought my hands up to run through his hair. I hoped my lips tasted like his forever.

Work was long and gruelling and I was fast asleep by the time Jasper came home and climbed into bed behind me. I was exhausted and barely even registered his arms wrapping around my chest, his warm fingers splayed over my heart and his near-silent I love you in my ear. We shared a shower and coffee the next morning before the routine cycled again and the longing and missing became stronger day after day.

I hadn't spent more than 30 minutes with Jasper in days and my mood fucking reflected it. My eyes were burning with lack of sleep; I'd tried to stay up until Jasper got home from work last night but woke to the feeling of his gentle touch pulling me from sleep and guiding me to bed.

My mouth was dry and I desperately needed a fucking coffee and if the phone rang or I was paged one more time I was going to lose my mind.

A knocking on my office door, heavy and direct, had my eyes screwing shut and my teeth gritting in annoyance. I had to get more sleep tonight, I didn't want to be like this. I loved my job; I just loved Jasper more.

"Yeah?" I took a deep breath before answering, trying to garner patience from somewhere. Anywhere.

"Dr Cullen?" A voice, amused and light and fucking perfect, perked my ears up and had me rising from my seat and rushing to the door.

Jasper came at me, kicking the door shut behind him and pushing his hard body against mine, breathing me in. He pulled back, a silly smile on his face, as he stepped back from me. Appraising.

"Jesus Christ, Edward." He leered, looking at me from head to toe and burning a path of fire over my body with his eyes alone. I could feel them on me. All over me. Blazing.

"What?" I could feel myself blushing under his scrutiny, remembering my glasses, the stethoscope around my neck and my white lab coat.

Jasper was against me in seconds, swirling his hips slowly against mine. Letting me feel him.

"That's what." He drawled, his hard cock pressing into my hip and coaxing my own to life.

"We can't." I tried to sound sincere. It came out as desperation and I rolled my hips lazily, rubbing myself against him.

With a quick peck to my lips, he chuckled, and pulled back from me. I couldn't help but smile at him. He'd made my whole fucking day just by being here. Jasper's eyes were wide as he wandered around my office, taking in as much as he could. He beamed as he lifted a photo frame from my desk and looked at it more closely. It was a picture of us Bella had taken at the bar one night. We looked ridiculously happy and so fucking in love.

I let my eyes follow him around the room, until he came to sit at my desk in my chair. It fit him.

"I'm just here for a quick visit. I'm not interrupting your work or anything, am I?" He looked uncertain for the first time since he'd arrived as he noticed the paperwork spread out before him. I shook my head, leaning back to rest my weight on the filing cabinets along one wall of the room. "I was having lunch with Esme and she wouldn't talk to me any more until I spoke to you. Said I was miserable."

I laughed out loud, gaining a raised eyebrow from across the room.

"That makes two of us." He smiled.

"Esme's just visiting with Carlisle, then we're heading out to see a studio that might be interested in showing my work." His eyes belied his excitement, his anticipation. They sparkled, ocean blue and brilliant.

"That's great. I'm so proud of you." I went to him, sitting on my desk before him, leaning down to kiss him softly for a second.

"I haven't done anything yet."

"You're letting her help you." He nodded. He understood.

I didn't see Jasper again until he cuddled into my chest late that night but the time in between was more bearable now. I woke up, groggy and disoriented for a minute until my sleep-clouded brain caught up and I moaned softly in appreciation of his skin on mine, his fingers tracing my ink and his lips on my throat.

Leaning down, I nudged his cheek until he turned to me and kissed him soundly. I needed it and felt better as soon as I tasted him.

"How did it go?" I whispered, not wanting to disturb the peace of the night, of the moment.

"They said they wanted to show my work." His voice was measured, quiet, unsure. I thought this was what he wanted?

"That's amazing, love." I squeezed him tighter to my chest for a moment, not having the energy for anything more.

"It wasn't right." His voice was so soft; even in the still night I struggled to hear him. "The place wasn't right for me. For my work. I knew it from the second I walked in there. It just wasn't right."

"There will be plenty more though."

"I don't want to disappoint Esme. She's been so great and I don't want her to think I don't appreciate her help. I do. It was just a feeling I got."

"Then you need to follow your heart. You'll know when it's right and just because Esme is helping you doesn't mean you should settle for anything less. She wouldn't want that for you, Jasper." I could tell he needed reassurance, support and guidance, but I couldn't tell him what to do here. He had to make up his own mind. He seemed to simply need to talk it through. I would listen. I would gladly listen to anything he had to say.

"I don't want to miss an opportunity. What if I never get anther shot?" Sleep was slurring his whispered words and his body was growing heavier on my chest as his tiredness overtook him.

"You'll get another shot, love." I whispered it into his hair as he breathed deeply above me. "You deserve perfection."

Work was hard the next day. I had a few days off after today and Jasper was only working one shift at Al's during my time off, so I was excited to see him and spend time with him. It made the day fucking drag like nothing else. When I had about three hours left and was starting to wind down and get prepared to hand over my patients' care for my days off, my beeper screamed at me, alerting me that one of my patients was in cardiac arrest.

Elaine was only 32 and had the most beautiful little girl who visited her every day, bringing shiny red apples, while she recovered from her last surgery. I prayed to fucking God that I could save her. She died after 3 hours of surgery and I had to tell her husband that she hadn't made it. It broke me.

When Jasper got home that night, I was still awake. Lying red-eyed and in pieces on our bed. I don't know how he knew, maybe he'd spoken to Carlisle, maybe he just sensed it, but he didn't even take his clothes off before he slid in next to me and held me tightly while I cried into his chest.

"I'm sorry, baby." He whispered into my ear, kissing my temple softly. I wasn't ready to speak. And he knew better than to tell me everything would be OK. For Elaine's husband and child, it would never be OK again. I failed them. "You're good. You're a good man, Edward."

The echo of words from our beginning, words of acceptance and hope and love and comfort, helped me build myself back up. Piece by piece. In his arms. In our home.

**I'm so sorry for the delay with this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last one, and who added Sleeves to their alerts and favourites. It means so much to me.**

**The Slash Awards nominations are up and I can't believe how many categories Sleeves is up for. Thank you thank you thank you to anyone who nominated! It's unbelievable. Voting is open now for TSAs and for The Sunflower Awards so check out my profile for details and get voting.**

**And last but not least, a gigantic thank you to my incredible beta, harrytwifan (I'm still sucking up...) who abandoned 3, yes 3, story alerts to beta this baby for you last night! That sounds like the work of the world's best beta to me; head over to The Sunflower Awards and vote for her if you think so too! She deserves it!**

**See you next week.**


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